Sea
by PandaBearPotter
Summary: AU: Annabeth is the unsuspecting princess of Crete, while Percy is first mate on a ship of pirates determined to capture Annabeth for a large ransom. Suddenly, the ship is thrown into chaos as the evil pirate Kronos and his crew attack. Percy and Annabeth find themselves in the midst of the action, and fate calls them together to save civilization.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO or HoO, because if I did, I would write as good as Rick Riordan. Scratch that, I would **_**be**_** Rick Riordan.**

_Prolog_

Deep in the belly of a large ship, the second mate tossed and turned in his sleep. It had been a long while since he had had this particular dream, or should we say, nightmare. Each time, the message it held became clearer, and more urgent. When the boy woke, sweating and panting, he knew that it was time to deliver the message to the captain.

The second mate slid out of bed and snuck past the snoring first mate. His gaze found the golden trident statue next to the first mate, and he scowled. How he longed to be as important as the first mate was. But that would soon change. After he told the captain, he would be first mate, he would be respected, and he would be known as the wise and the powerful. No one would know it wasn't the second mate's idea. No one would know of his nightmare.

As he slid into the captains chambers, fantasies of his future life ran through his mind. Rich, powerful, respected, famous. How he would rise to the greatness, from a sailor to a king! The second mate's train of thought stopped as he noticed the sword at his throat. His eyes followed the golden blade to an angry looking, baggy-eyed captain.

"What makes you think it is okay for you to disrupt me at this time?" the captain hissed.

"The knowledge we have been seeking for too many months," The second mate replied, and then added, "Lower your sword and I will tell."

"Tell me what?" the captain questioned, sliding his long golden blade in its leather sheath.

"How to capture the Princess of Crete."

**So, that's my prolog! The second mate, first mate, and captain are the same in the prolog as they are in the story, for those who are wondering. Drop a review and tell me what you think of the prolog! Give me any advice you have, and PM me if you've got questions. That wraps things up, I suppose. Goodbye!**

**PandaBearPotter**


	2. Chapter 1

**Hey! We are back in business! I'm going to have someone special do the disclaimer today. Guess who?  
ME!  
I, PandaBearPotter, do not own PJO, HoO, or anything from them (sadly, it's true). Let's get this show on the road!**

_Chapter One_

I wake up to a pillow being thrown on my head. "Happy Sweet Sixteen!" someone shouted.

"Luke…." I groan. "It's my birthday. Let me sleep," I through the pillow at him, and it falls away to reveal a nasty glare upon Luke's face.

"Birthday present?" I ask sleepily.

Luke sits down on my bed. He has a serious look in his blue eyes, and his usual mischievous smirk is gone. "Annie, they're having a brunch in your honor, and King Frederick has invited all the lords and ladies to attend. Come down when you're ready. They'll be excited to see the bell of the brunch," He laughed, but his grin faded when I didn't laugh with him.

"And, Annabeth…" Luke said, looking nervous all of the sudden. "After the brunch, there's something I need to talk to you about. In private," he murmured. Then he stood up. "Well, I'd best be off. See you after the brunch, Annabeth." With that, he turned and quickly exited my room.

* * *

After a lady-in-waiting declared me presentable, I stood to look at myself in the mirror. I gasped at what I saw. Instead of Annabeth, I saw the princess of Crete. The person who my parents expected me to be.

My complexion was more even, my eyelashes longer, my lips fuller and pinker. A small silver tiara set with pearls was placed in my blonde curls, complementing my gray eyes. To match my crown, little pearl studs adorned my ears and a pearl necklace rested on my chest. Don't even get me started on my dress. It was floor length, and loosely fitted around my legs. The top was white, decorated with silver thread and small pearls, while the bottom faded into a pale peach-pink. I wore white flats under my dress, and I, in other words, looked stunning… and stunned.

"Wow," I whispered. The little girly part of my brain suggested that I should wear make-up every day. I could look like this every day, and-the sensible part of my brain put a wall in front of that train of thought, and I said thank you to the lady-in-waiting. She looked embarrassed as she left, with a hint of pride.

I smiled, and found myself examining how beautiful my smile looked with the pink lipstick.

* * *

Brunch was the worst. Everyone talked politics and boring adult stuff like that. Then we had a toast… to my dad. And then everyone talked politics again.

I mean, COME ON! Whose birthday is it? MINE!

Eventually, I decided that I 'had to use the restroom', or, in other words, escape.

Presently, I am in my room. Sulking.

My thoughts mill quietly over all the things that have happened today. First, I was brutally awakened by that well aimed pillow thrown by Luke. Then I- oh.

Luke.

I'm out of my plush chair, flying across my room to the mirror. Hurriedly, I check myself. Hair, good, dress, good, make-up-wait, when did I start caring about how I looked around Luke?

Does this mean… could I… have a crush on Luke? I banish the thought from my mind. I can't like the boy I found lying on the beach when I was only 13!

Can I?

It doesn't matter now, though, because I need to find him.

I thought I would find him in his room. Wrong. I thought I would find him in the kitchen. Wrong. I thought I would find him great hall. Wrong. I thought I would find him on the castle grounds. Wrong. I thought I would find him in my room. Wrong. There was a note in my closet though, that read in Luke's handwriting:

Annie,

Meet me at the highest point,  
where you first learned my name.  
Hurry, and hurry quick,  
for this is not a game.  
-Luke

The highest point… of course! Grande Spire, the tallest point of the castle, where some astronomers were sometimes welcomed to chart the stars. Grande Spire was the best place for stargazing in Crete, but… why would Luke be there?

Little did I know that I would find out soon.

I looked up the spiraling staircase. In Queen-to-Be class, I had learned that if there was a staircase that went from ground level to the top of Grande Spire, there would need to be 300 stairs. Having the stairs start on a higher floor was a good idea, for now we only had to climb 250 stairs. I was halfway up, with 125 to go.

The walk was painful on my legs, and when I finally reached the top I was panting. I scanned the large stone balcony for signs of Luke and found none. So, I did the obvious thing.

"Luke?" I asked, my voice ringing in the vast space.

Things happened too rapidly for me to process in time to fight back. Luke's hand clamped on my mouth and nose, preventing me from breathing. My head swam, and a large black bag was pulled over my head. I knew I was passing out from lack of air, so when the hand released me, I gasped.

Big mistake.

The sudden rush of air was too much for my body, but before I lost consciousness completely, I thought I heard Luke's voice.

"I'm sorry, Annabeth," he murmured, but in that moment, I knew I could never forgive.

**I hope you liked it! Since it was my first, that might not have been the best, so tell me what I could do better in a review! No, this isn't really Lukeabeth, but I may hint some little pieces here and there. PM or comment any questions!**

**PandaBearPotter**


	3. Chapter 2

**Well hello again! Before I start with the story, I would like to thank my one reviewer! Don't worry, they ARE demigods, I'm just not sure how to portray that yet. Enough with that, and on to the disclaimer! This time, I have another special person doing it! No, sadly, it's not me.**

**Percy: *grumbles* Why do I have to do this again?**

**Me: Because I want you to! Now hurry up and get on with it.**

**Percy: PandaBearPotter does not own PJO or HoO, for if she did, then we all would have died horrible deaths thanks to her amateur writing abilities.**

**Me: Hey!**

_Chapter Two_

As soon as I regain consciousness, I know something isn't right. The ground is swaying beneath my body, like I'm at sea, on a ship. But that's impossible.

And then the memories come flooding back.

Unintentionally, I crack an eye open. I am in fact on a ship, and there are three people standing over me: a blonde boy, with shocking blue eyes, a boy with messy raven hair and sea-green eyes, and-I struggle to hold in a gasp-Luke. He's wearing the same type of slightly ragged pirate-ish clothing that I found him in when I was 13. For some reason, the memory plays through my brain:

_My blonde curls loose and my grey eyes shining with tears, I was running towards the shore at full speed. I had just been told that I was engaged to some prince that I didn't even know. Somewhere in my brain I knew I was being foolish: I wouldn't survive a day alone in the wild, but that didn't stop me. When I got to the water's edge, I stared out at the sea, wishing that something or someone would emerge out of the waves to change my horrid, arranged life. Little did I know that my wish was going to be granted._

_The water lapped at my feet, warmer than usual. A bright summer sun hung overhead, illuminating the day. Then I saw the figure emerging from the sea. It was a man, older than me, wet and bedraggled. His eyes found me, and he croaked out one word before sprawling unconscious on the sand: "Help."_

_My eyes widened. Even though I was only 13, I knew I had to help this man. Running towards him, I took in his features: close-cropped sandy blonde hair and I remembered seeing blue in his eyes as he spoke to me._

_Taking his wet hand in mine, I started dragging him up to the palace; I didn't want to return, but for the sake of this man I knew I had to._

_He was heavy, a deadweight. I was able to get him a few yards away from the sea before I knew I had to the sensible thing._

"_HELP!" My voice rang out across the beach. I hoped a sailor, or at least someone from the palace would hear my call._

"_HELP!" I called again. "HELP! I NEED HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME!"_

_After a few more calls in vain, I began dragging him again, yelling for help all the while. Before I knew it, palace guards began running over; finally, someone had heard me!_

"_We'll take him from here, Princess," a guard told me. "Go on ahead, your mother is worried."_

_I looked into the guards eyes, and saw concern for me, but a poorly concealed disdain for the man he now held._

"_Don't hurt him, and make sure he gets proper care from the palace doctor. I want to be notified when he awakens," and then, as an afterthought, I added "That's an order."_

_The guard saluted me as I ran back home._

_The next day, the man had awakened. We became acquainted with each other: He was a sailor named Luke who had gotten lost at sea; I told him I was Annabeth, the Princess of Crete, and I had been escaping palace life when I found him._

_We got along very well, and became close friends. He was given a room at the palace and a job fishing, and we had been nearly inseparable until that dreadful day; which, actually, was today._

"Sleeping Beauty is awake!" Exclaims the raven-haired boy. Now, the blonde speaks.

"My name is Jason, the captain, this is Percy, the first mate, and this is Luke, second mate, whom you probably already know since you spent the past three years of your life with him."

I shakily get to my feet, and anger suddenly rushes through me.

"I don't care who you are! Take me back home! Right now! As Princess of Crete, I demand you take me back, and that's an order!" I yell. Then, I turn on Luke. More anger surges throughout me, though this time, all directed at him.

"If you were ever my friend, take me back! I have a life awaiting me: a kingdom, a family, a destiny, a fiancé!" A thought occurs. In a quieter tone, I add "Maybe not of my choosing, but I still had a life, and I won't let you take it away."

A boy named Will Solace showed me to my quarters, which were a lot nicer than I expected me being a prisoner and all. There was a small but fairly comfortable bed, a chest for clothes (fully stocked), and a smaller bathroom area with a mirror.

Examining myself in the mirror, I noticed that tangled in my hair was the small silver tiara from brunch, which I carefully removed, my once-beautiful dress was ripped, and that my makeup was horribly smeared.

After washing my face, brushing my hair, and changing into a fresh (but a little loose) white button-down shirt and tight but comfortable black pants, I examined myself again. I looked presentable, but there seemed to be something missing.

I don't know what drove me to do this, but I fastened the little tiara in my hair, almost like a reminder to the residents of the ship and myself who I really was.

Taking one last quick glance at my room, I headed out onto the ship to, well, simply put, explore.

After four detours (all in the small library), three panic attacks (I thought I was lost), two awkward moments (how was I supposed to know which doors led to peoples chambers?), and one angry yelling session (with Luke), I had toured the interior of the ship, and now I was touring the deck.

There was nothing really extraordinary, except for the figurehead, which was a moving and almost alive bronze dragon. A short Latino guy named Leo Valdez was manning the ship at the helm, and he said that the dragon's name was Festus.

"So, you have a bronze dragon that's name means Happy in Latin," I said, fairly unimpressed.

"Something wrong with that, Princess?" He replied with a mock bow.

I left and returned to the library after that encounter, but it was hard to read with my dyslexia. The raven haired boy whose name I think was Percy came in and tried to read too, but left very soon after muttering something about stupid dyslexia.

It was strange; Luke, Percy, and I all had dyslexia.

A few hours late, the blonde, Jason, came in.

"I'll show you to dinner if you'd like any, Annabeth," he said, concern evident in his blue eyes.

"Princess Annabeth to you," I sniped. I knew it was rude, but they had captured me and dragged me out to sea, for heaven's sake! In my opinion, they deserved it.

Jason looked at me and said, "Annabeth, on this ship, your title earns you nothing; no respect, no special treatment. We will treat you with the respect of any other crew member, until we get the ransom and set you free."

"Oh, so you're only in it for the money?" I practically screamed at him. "That thought is so vile I wouldn't be able to keep dinner down if I ate any." Snarling, I stormed past him, and back to my room.

It was late at night and I was starving, no, famished. I was deeply regretting not eating anything, but wow it had felt good storming away down the hallways, with Jason following, and slamming my door in his face.

Just as I was about to go in search for food, someone knocked at my door and softly called "Annabeth?"

Percy.

"Come in," I said, sighing.

He looked at me with those sea-green eyes full of concern, and gods of Olympus he looked like a cute baby seal.

"I brought you some food; I figured you were hungry," he said.

I didn't say anything, but my grey eyes must have betrayed my gratitude. Percy unwrapped a warm roll and some fruit from a napkin.

"Sorry, it was all I could get," he apologized.

After devouring my food, I looked him in the eye and said, "At least there's someone halfway decent on this ship."

Percy offered a lopsided grin, and then sat on the edge of my bed. I joined him.

"I have something to tell you, but you might think I'm insane," he had a bitter tone to his voice, like this had happened to him before.

"Shoot," I replied.

He got to the point quickly. "On this ship, we're all descended from the Greek or Roman gods. Basically, we're demigods. And the Greek and Roman myths and gods? They're all real."

My mind was whirring: I knew that the gods were real, but all these people; demigods? Slightly doubtful. But instead of voicing my doubts, I asked a question: "Who's your parent?"

Percy smiled. "My dad's Poseidon."

"What about Jason, Leo, Luke, and Will?"

"Jason is Zeus, Leo's Hephaestus, Luke's Hermes, and Will's Apollo. I know this might be a lot, but I have one more thing," Percy looked troubled.

"Okay, what is it? I think I'll be able to cope," I replied, somewhat uncertainly.

Percy took a deep breath. "Annabeth, you know how I said everyone on this ship is a demigod? You're a demigod too."

**DUN DUN DUUUUUN! Suspense! Sorry for the time it took to update. I just want to take one more second to thank all the people that followed/favorited me as an author and Sea. I was going through my email and there were like, 10 messages from FanFiction! So thank you! Also, take the little bit of time it takes to write a review to tell me what you think! PM or review any questions!**

**PandaBearPotter**


	4. Chapter 3

**Hey! Just want to say a quick thanks to Finwitch1 and a guest for reviewing before we start. I will try to incorporate the gods more into the plot, but I'll have to find out how. But for now, I, PandaBearPotter do not own PJO or HoO, however much I wish I did, and I feel like a horrible person for not updating in like, a month!**

_Chapter Three_

I was silent for a long time, trying to process this information.

But I couldn't.

So I decided to let out my confusion in something a little less, well, confusing to me.

Yelling.

"HOW DARE YOU?! MY PARENTS ARE KING FREDERICK AND QUEEN HELEN OF CRETE, AND NOTHING YOU SAY WILL CHANGE THAT!"

Percy looked alarmed. "Shhhh, you'll wake everyone not on night duty!"

I glowered at him, steam practically coming out of my ears, but I kept my voice down.

"I am a princess, not some… half-blooded… _mistake!_ I don't know what got into you; first you were all caring, and then _this?_ Goodnight, and don't let me see your stupid face again," I whisper-shouted angrily. Some part of me knew how much I was going to regret my stinging words, but right now I didn't care.

He looked up at me, and I saw the hurt and despair that I had somehow known I was going to see in those sea-green eyes.

"Goodnight," he whispered.

As he left the room, shutting the door with a small _click_, I whispered two more scathing, angry words at him.

"_Seaweed Brain._"

* * *

As usual, I had bad dreams. When I woke up, my first thought was of breakfast, and my second of Percy's surprise visit last night.

He had seemed like such a nice person, and then he goes about trying to tell me that I'm a demigod?! _He was probably tired_, I tried to reason, but I really wasn't convinced.

After pulling my curls up with a small band of cloth ripped from my white sheets, I began the walk to the large mess hall, where I found around a hundred sailors sitting at the long tables.

Jason was suddenly at my side.

"You're to sit with the Athena children; over at that table," he pointed.

"Oh, so do you have the delusion that I'm a demigod, too?" I tried to keep my tone casual, but even I could hear the sharp undertones of anger."

"It's not a delusion, Annabeth," Jason seemed to be trying to put up the same façade I was. "It's simply the truth, whether you like it or not."

"So half of my life was a lie? Half of my world was a lie? I think you need to go lie down, _Captain,_" I snarled, grabbed the first thing I saw (a bagel) and stalked off to my room. But before I was completely out of earshot, I heard Percy say to Jason, "She's got a fiery temper, that one."

When I got back to my cabin, I could feel tears pricking my grey eyes. I had always wondered where I got my eyes; neither of my parents had them. Whenever I had asked, Mother had glared at Father; Father had sent a meaningful look to Mother. It had always seemed like there was something they weren't telling me.

If Percy and Jason were right, then I knew what they hadn't been telling me.

Mother wasn't my real mother.

Athena was.

* * *

Days passed slowly aboard the ship, and as I slowly began to accept that I was a demigod, I realized that I had some work to do.

I had two people to apologize to.

Apologizing wasn't something that was necessarily easy for me; though I would never admit it, each _I'm sorry_ was a dent in my pride.

After the fits and tantrums I had thrown, after crying my eyes out for an hour, and after being so, well, _mean_ to Jason and Percy, I knew these apologies would be really hard for me.

The rest of the day was spent gathering up my courage, so it was fairly late when I knocked on Percy's door.

"Percy?" I called softly when there wasn't an answer.

When I couldn't bear it anymore, I pushed the door open to find Percy asleep, his sheets tangled in his legs.

He moaned something that sounded suspiciously like _I won't let you_ and _Never, you vile creature_, and then he began to drool.

I stood there awkwardly, and just as I was about to shake him awake, his eyes snapped open.

I gathered my courage and swallowed my pride, and said, "You drool when you sleep."

Mentally, I cursed myself as he flushed bright scarlet.

Percy untangled himself from his sheets and positioned himself on the edge of his bed.

After some time of silence, he said "Knowing you, you didn't come here to watch me sleep. What is it?"

I gathered my courage again, and this time, successfully apologized. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been so mean, and I should have trusted you more. I'm sorry."

And then Percy did something that truly surprised me. He laughed.

"Don't worry; it took seeing an actual god to convince me, and I never apologized," he said.

I smiled for the first time in days. Percy smiled too, and I decided that he might not be so bad after all.

After getting to know Percy a little better, I bid him goodnight, and left to find my own cabin. Walking down the halls of the ship, it rocking slowly on the water, I felt slightly at home. Silently, I chided myself. Sure, it might be nice here, but it wasn't home. Home was in Crete, home was in the palace, home was with dad and (fake) mom, and home was the place where I really belonged. _Besides, _I thought, _once these pirates get that ransom from my dad, I'll be sent back, and I can start my real life again._

I opened my door, determined to get some good rest, but instead, I was met with a rather unpleasant surprise.

Luke.

"What are you doing here?!" I whisper-yelled.

"I'm saying something that I should have said a long time ago," he answered.

I glared in return. "Just so you know, sorry isn't gonna cut it."

"That's not it at all," Luke said. Then, fast as a viper, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me against him, wrapping his arms around me. I tried to pull away, but I was trapped. "I love you, Annabeth," he said into my hair.

Finally, I found the strength to push him away.

"You are _disgusting_!" I yelled, not even caring that I was waking most of the ship in the process. "You think you can capture me and force me away from home, and then I'll forgive you when you tell me you love me?! Well, news flash, it's not going to work, because I still hate you! Now GET! OUT!" Each word felt amazing and broke my heart at the same time. Sure, I hated Luke immensely, but I also knew that at one point, at one time, he had been my best, no, _only_ friend.

While I was yelling I hadn't even heard the pounding footsteps outside. The door was flung open, and Percy and Jason both screamed "Annabeth!" simultaneously. I turned to them, still seething.

"Get. It. Out. Of. Here," I said, clipping each word as I pointed my finger at Luke.

Jason looked mildly shocked as he led Luke from the room. Percy remained frozen in the doorway. Still breathing hard, I met his eyes.

Then I sank to my knees and began to sob uncontrollably.

Percy rushed over to me and scooped me up in his arms. I sobbed quietly into his shoulder, soaking his shirt, but he didn't seem to mind. After my sobs subsided, Percy led me over to my bed, helped my lie down, and pulled the sheets up to my chin.

"Sleep well, you had a rough night," he murmured. I nodded, slightly embarrassed, and bit my lip.

"Thank you," I whispered as he began to turn away.

Even in the darkness, I could practically see him smiling softly as he shut the door with a soft click.

Dreamless sleep washed over me, and the night faded to blackness.

* * *

I didn't see Luke the next day. Or the next. Or the day after that. Finally, on the fifth day of his absence, I asked Percy where he was.

"We put him in the stables," he replied casually. "He was sentence there for a week; it's no big deal. We bring food down to him at mealtimes and the sleeping arrangements are alright."

I was stunned into silence for bit. And then I remembered that these people were-_are_-pirates. So, I simply said what had been on my mind: "Oh."

Percy pressed his lips together, as if he knew he had somehow upset me. I heard a voice shouting for lunch-someone I identified as Katie Gardener, daughter of Demeter-and I finally had an excuse to turn my back and walk away.

As I ate my lunch, I wondered for the first time when Jason would get that ransom.

* * *

The next two days were uneventful. They were spent at the library or staring out at the blue, blue sea. The ways of the pirate became almost normal to me, but today, I was in for a surprise.

I was staring out at the waves when I heard a voice that I hadn't heard before. "Land ahead!" It called, and then I saw it. Right in front of the boat, a mass of land stretched before me. Percy was suddenly behind me, grinning uncontrollably. "Welcome to Greece, Annabeth."

I smiled too; I had always wanted to come to Greece, and here I was. I made my way off the ship, and then a thought struck me. "Why are we here?" I asked, my question not really directed at anyone. Jason answered. "We seek advice from the Oracle at Delphi." I was going to ask why, but I decided against it. For some reason, I didn't want to appear pestering to the crew. I guess I'm just not that kind of person.

After a few miles of walking through different terrains, varying from cities to oceans of grass and grain, we arrived at a large white temple, with beautiful architecture.

"The temple of Apollo," a boy named Will Solace said. "Who should go in?" He asked. "Apollo prefers only small parties; maybe four or five at most."

"Jason and I, Luke, and… Annabeth," Percy decided. Most people looked shocked at his decision to take me, I was their prisoner after all, but no one questioned him. Jason simply motioned for us to be off, and we continued towards the temple.

"Inside, you are not to speak unless otherwise told by the spirit of Apollo or the oracle," Percy said I low tones. I nodded still in a state of mild shock.

Right outside the temple, Jason lowered himself to his knees. We all followed suit. "O Great Lord Phoebus Apollo, grant us with a glimpse of the future. To you I offer riches and wealth." Jason placed golden drachmas and other forms of wealth, including jewel incrusted books at the foot of the statue of Apollo in the entryway. The objects began to shimmer, like a mirage, and then they were gone. My mouth opened. Where had he gotten all that stuff? And why did it disappear?

"The god has accepted our offering," Jason proclaimed. "Rise and proceed." We all filed into the temple. What I saw there was now forever seared into my mind. I my state of shock, whispered two words, even though I knew I was to be silent. "No way…"

**Sorry, but I have to leave you there! Once again, SO sorry for my month-late update. My LA teacher dumped us with four different projects that were due on Friday. But hey, HAPPY FEBRUARY! (It's a good month for reviews! Wink, wink)**

**PandaBearPotter**


	5. Chapter 4

**I'm back again! And now, I have a special guest: Buford the Wonder Table!**

**Buford: *puff* PUT SOME CLOTHES ON!**

**Me: *sigh* this isn't going to work, is it? I'll do the disclaimer myself. **** I don't own PJO or HoO. And finally, back to the story!**

_Chapter Four_

The inside of the temple was carved with beautifully horrific images of the past, present, and future. I saw men locked in combat, ships sailing through terrible storms, a beautiful baby child, shrouds being burned on a fire, and worst of all, a broken man sitting on a throne that I knew all too well. _Dad…_

But the thing that shocked me the most was the woman in the middle of the temple. She looked like she had descended from the heavens just moments ago. Long brown locks curved gracefully around a face with stunning features. Her eyes were flecked with blues, greens, browns, greys, and violets, and she had a delicate figure. She wore a flowing white dress, pinned at the shoulders with clasps of gold, and a small golden crown similar to the one I had worn not so long ago was nestled in her silky hair. Her voice sounded like a ray of sunshine and a flowing river, and though quiet, it could be heard from every corner of the room.

"You seek the guidance of Apollo, but you may not like what you discover. Are you sure you wish to continue?"

Jason nodded somberly, and the woman blinked slowly.

"Then I present to you the Oracle of Delphi." She stepped aside, revealing a girl who I could've sworn wasn't there before. She looked out of place, with frizzy red hair and pants painted with odd symbols.

She looked up, and green smoke shaped like pythons spilled out of her mouth. I suddenly had no doubt that this was the Oracle.

"_Half-bloods sail east, to release the heir of Crete,_

_In the waters, trouble boils, and trouble they shall meet,_

_To the enemy with limitless life, falls the helpless crew and gods,_

_Unless two join together as one, and one defeats all odds."_

The Oracle fell silent, and the girl nodded and left, seeming to dissolve into the structure.

"Wait!" Jason called. "What do you mean?"

The woman with brown hair shimmered into existence. "The Oracle has done all she can. It is time you leave." Her voice had a harder quality to it.

"Let's leave," Luke said quietly.

We left.

I could tell that the crew was bursting with questions, but no one asked. I figured someone had to tell them, but as soon as I opened my mouth, Percy's strong hand was over my mouth.

"No one speaks of what happens in the temple," he said, his voice soft but firm. I glared and whispered "Seaweed Brain!" Percy didn't seem to mind.

"We shall be getting out to sea, and returning the princess!" Jason announced. "The king has fulfilled our requests, and Apollo has accepted his jewels. We have no reason to keep the princess any longer."

So my father _had_ paid the ransom, and yet they kept me there on the ship for _weeks_?

I was mad.

But there was another feeling too, like I was almost sad… but I didn't belong with these people, or on their ship, so why should I be sad?

It didn't make sense.

It was illogical.

I walked on with the rest of the crew.

As Leo set course for Crete, I ate with the rest of the crew. On the walk back I had decided that I would make my last weeks here worth it, so I laughed and joked along with everyone. I bonded with my siblings and other demigods, and had an all-around good time. I left the mess hall with a smile on my face.

Entering my cabin, I noticed a glint of bronze sitting on my clothing chest. Instantly curious, I rushed over. Lying on the wooden chest was a bronze knife, half-way out of its sheath. There was a thread tying a small piece of parchment on the hilt. It read:

Figured you would need a weapon in case things get rough. This is Celestial bronze. Knives are only for the bravest and quickest fighters. They don't have the reach or power of a sword, but they're easy to conceal and they can find weak spots in your enemy's armor. It takes a clever warrior to use a knife. I have a feeling you're pretty clever.

-Luke

I picked up the knife and twirled it between my fingers. It felt like it belonged in my hand. Inspecting it, I decided to keep it, even though it was from Luke. I sheathed it, and strapped it around my waist. It couldn't hurt to have a highly dangerous weapon on hand, could it? A thought then occurred to me. Maybe I should get the knife checked out by the Hephaestus kids and see if it was okay to use. After all, I couldn't trust Luke.

Making my way to the forge (I know, the ship had a forge!), I wondered what had made Luke give me the knife. Why hadn't he given it to me before? Why did he give it to me at all? I almost walked past the forge, but the clanging of hammers brought me back to the world.

The forge was great, but I wasn't really one to like the heat and noise of it. Searching through the tables, my grey eyes focused on my target, Charles Beckendorf. He was in charge of the forge, which meant he was basically in charge of the Hephaestus kids.

When I reached his work station, I was relieved to see that he was taking a break. "Annabeth? What are you doing here?" he asked, wiping the sweat off of his brow with a towel. "I came to ask about this," I replied, sliding the knife out of its sheath. "Looks like a pretty good knife; I can't find anything wrong with it. Is it working okay? I know that sometimes practice can be rough-" I coughed, and Charles stopped talking abruptly.

"There's nothing wrong with it, I just don't trust the person who gave it to me." I chose my words carefully. Charles nodded thoughtfully. "You should find Lou-Ellen. She's a daughter of Hecate; if it's cursed, she'll help you." I smiled. "Thanks."

After checking in with Lou-Ellen, I figured that the knife was a genuine present. But that only solved on problem.

I had a knife, but now I had to learn to use it.

Fortunately, it turned out I was a natural at fighting with a knife. Unfortunately, I still had a lot of work to do. I spent day training with different people, and went to bed sweaty, sore and exhausted every night. Within a little less than two weeks, I was one of the best knife fighters on the ship.

I only had one thing left to do before I was completely ready to fight.

I had to beat Jason in a duel.

Jason was one of the best fighters on the ship, and I don't know how I did it. The whole fight seemed like a blur. His long golden sword was a blur, but my knife parried every strike, returned every stab, and blocked every slash. But I knew that eventually I would tire. I made the move that would end the fight.

My blade hit the base of Jason's and I twisted, putting all of my momentum into a downward thrust. His blade clattered out of his hands. I swept my leg out, hitting his knees and he crumpled. Using my elbow, I pushed Jason flat and held my knife at his throat. I had won.

There was only one problem left.

Now I had a knife and skills, but how was I going to use them?

I got my answer sooner than I ever expected.

**Wow! I'm sorry for the late update, but coming up with prophecies is HARD STUFF! Reviews would be nice….. please….. begging on my knees now….. Well, I'll try to update sooner next time. Happy Easter, hope you like the update! Bye!**

**PandaBearPotter**


	6. Chapter 5

**I'm back with more! Sorry for the cliff-hangers; they seem like good ways to end chapters. I've decided that this is going to end up being a shorter story because the plot is moving pretty fast and I'm horrid at writing fillers. So, don't expect anything too long or elaborate… but that's quite enough. Onwards!**

**Malcolm: No! Wait! You forgot the disclaimer!**

**Me: Oops….. I don't own PJO or HoO or anything from them…. By the way, thanks Malcolm!**

_Chapter 5_

It was one of those rare nights where I got restful, dreamless sleep. The rocking of the ship (which was called the _Argo III_-I can't believe no one told me that earlier) and the gentle sloshing of the waves lulled me into a deep sleep, and somewhere in my consciousness, I knew it was going to be a nice, peaceful night.

Can I just say WRONG?

Halfway through the night, I was rudely awakened by something truly terrifying: The alarm bells.

The _Argo III_ was being attacked.

For once, I was glad that I slept in my underwear and a short white tunic. Racing around, I was able to pull myself into clothes and grab my knife in less than a minute. I high-tailed it on to the deck, where I found the crew fighting for their lives against an assortment of monsters: Laistrygonians, telkhines, dracaenae, hellhounds, a few demigods wearing iron helmets with purple plumes, and more. Through the fight, I could see a large black trireme like the _Argo III_, swamped with enemies.

The battle seemed hopeless for us. I stood there in shock and despair, but Percy's voice brought me back to the present.

"Are you going to stand there and watch or help out?" He called, stabbing a telkhine and decapitating a dracaenae. Seeing him plowing through the army gave me hope, and I stepped into the fight.

A hellhound challenged me first. It swiped at me, and I struck. The hellhound dissolved into shadows. A telkhine came at me next, and jabbed my knife into its slippery skin. Two enemies down, about 200 to go.

The fight became a blur to me. At one point, I was fighting next to Leo, who shot fire at the army. Then I was fighting next to Jason, who slashed and twirled, defeating every enemy in the range of his sword. I barely realized it when the enemy began to retreat.

Cheers came up from the crew as the last monsters receded on to the black trireme, but the festive mood didn't last long. The crew began to scramble around, making repairs, while Jason called Luke and Percy into the mess hall. I instantly became curious.

Silently, I crept after them. When I approached the mess hall, I could hear them arguing.

"We can't tell them! If we do, they'll become scared and they won't help us get the Princess back! The King already has guards looking for us, so we need to get her to Crete fast!" Jason sounded scared, not at all like the confident person I knew.

"What if another attack happens? How are we going to explain it to them? They need to know the prophecy and that Kronos is rising again," Percy argued.

The dispute went back and forth between them, but I noticed that Luke said nothing. Finally, Jason relented. "We'll only tell them that Kronos is rising. The prophecy would be too much." Percy looked pained, but he agreed. The meeting was coming to a close, and if I stayed much longer I would be caught. I did the sensible thing.

I ran.

Tearing through the hallways with my hair streaking by me, I began to process the information. Kronos, the Titan of Time, the ex-king of the Universe, The Crooked One, dude who ate his children, rising and the prophecy that the Oracle had issued could only mean one thing.

Trouble.

The next few days were uneventful, except for the speech by Jason warning us all of the trouble waiting to come. The crew freaked for a day, but quieted down and began preparations. I practiced my fighting skills and helped to train others. Everyone on board helped make rafts and small woven bags full of rations and essential equipment in case the _Argo III_ sank. Weapons were made, and everything was precisely the way it had to be.

The tension on the ship was so thick not even Jason could cut it. We were all waiting for an attack that might never happen. An attack that might overwhelm us. An attack that might be the last thing some people ever got to experience.

I was sitting on my bed, sweating heavily from a day's worth of training. Pulling my hair, which had grown longer, out of its ponytail, I was reminded of my old life. Would I ever be able to look at my family in the same way again? Queen Helen, with her regal face and dark hair, King Frederick, with his close-cropped hair with flecks of grey invading, felt like distant memories of a past life now.

The realization hit me like an arrow to my heart. They were so distant because part of me didn't _want_ to remember them.

Part of me wanted to become a pirate.

Part of me never wanted to leave.

I cried myself to sleep.

In the morning, I pulled myself out of bed and up on deck. The sunrise was streaked with pinks, oranges, yellows and reds. Apollo's chariot seemed unusually bright today, illuminating the colors and giving the ocean an orange glow. It was a beautiful sight.

Everything about the day seemed too perfect. The sea breeze was just right, pulling at my loose white sleeveless blouse. Hot and cold mixed together somewhere, and the sun shone behind a small, puffy white clouds. Jason gave us the day off training, so I decided to spend the day on deck with some friends.

After gathering Percy, Jason, a fierce Aphrodite girl named Piper, Leo, a Pluto (or Hades, take your pick) girl named Hazel, a gentle Mars (or Ares) boy named Frank and some picnic supplies on deck, I relaxed in the gentle sunlight.

The seven of us had formed a close bond over the months a sea, and we were nicknamed the Seven. We laughed at Leo's corny jokes, Frank's minor (okay, major) clumsiness, and Percy's Seaweed Brain moments. As the sun started to go down on the lovely day, I got an idea.

"Hey, why don't we play Truth or Dare? Who knows, after today we might not get the chance," I suggested playfully, but everybody saw through my words. They knew that after today, we might not even be here.

Piper smiled. "Why not?" she said. "I'll start." She looked around, mulling over her options. "Leo, truth or dare?"

"Dare, most definitely, Beauty Queen," he replied smoothly.

"I dare you to pick a random cabin and jump inside, while on fire, and scream _FLAME ON_ at the top of your lungs," Piper said after some consideration.

Fortunately for Leo, it wasn't the best Piper could do. Unfortunately for Leo, he chose Katie Gardener's cabin. We all hid outside while Leo kicked open the door. We couldn't see what was happening, but I heard Leo yell "FLAME ON!" and Katie yell "GET OUT OF HERE YOU IDIOT!" and Leo was pushed out of the door by some angry rose bushes.

"Ow…" Leo whimpered. I couldn't help but laugh with the others. The expression on Leo's face was _priceless_.

After retreating back to the deck, Leo pulled out random screws and wires from his tool belt. How he kept all of that stuff in there, I'll never know.

"Annabeth, truth or dare? Dare? Great! I dare you to spend the rest of the game with my little pet," he said. I spluttered. I hadn't even _said_ anything, but Leo tossed his 'little pet' into my lap. I shrugged indifferently until I saw what it was. There, clicking and whirring on my lap, was a mechanical spider the size of my fist.

I did the only thing that my mind allowed me to do.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!" I shrieked. It was everybody else's turn to laugh. I whimpered. "S-s-sp-spider," I stuttered. Leo grinned evilly. "Fine then," I snorted. "It's someone else's turn to _feel the pain_. Percy, truth or dare?"

The game went on like this for a while. There were times where I laughed, where I screamed, where I could feel smoke coming out of my ears, but no matter what I felt happy. My family-yes, family-aboard the _Argo III_ laughed and cried with me.

It was the best night of my life, no doubts whatsoever. I didn't miss my old life, for I had found a new one, a free one, a happy one, an almost perfect one.

I should've remembered that the good comes with the bad. I should've remembered that there are pros, but there are cons.

I didn't, and it was a horrible mistake.

The last thing I heard was a cannonball slamming into the hull before I was knocked overboard and fell into the deep dark ocean, falling further underwater as my senses faded. A face broke through the water, and I fell unconscious.

**I put the truth or dare scene in there because I wanted to have a moment to introduce the Seven and show them bonding. Also, it was just **_**such**_** a good way to end. (HEHEHEHEHE!) I might get the next chapter up soon, no telling. Check out my one-shot Say Something and push that nice button that says **_**review**_** please!**

**PandaBearPotter**


	7. Chapter 6

**Hey… Sorry for not updating again. When summer starts I will be able to update and write more frequently, so you can expect more updates. Unfortunately, I realized that Helen was Asian, so I've had to make a few changes to her character. In order for her to be the queen of Crete, I thought, well, she should at least be Greek or something. Thanks for understanding. I don't own PJO and/or HoO. Dang it. But oh well, and so we go!**

_Chapter 6_

I woke up to the sound of a sneeze. My body was on something extremely soft that rocked slightly. I deduced that I was on a boat, in a lavish bed. Too lavish for the _Argo III_. A moment of panic consumed me, and I opened my eyes.

The world was still really blurry, but I could see a form above me. The walls were navy blue with white designs, the floor polished wood. I was on a white bed that was as soft as a cloud. As my surroundings came into focus, I recognized the figure looming over me.

"Dad?" I croaked. He smiled softly and shushed me. I didn't obey. "What happened?" I asked groggily. He sighed.

"I had the navy out looking for you. Thank the gods that some ship attacked the one you were being held on, because my men heard the attack. The attacked ship was demolished. They saved you and captured the rest of the pirates. All of them are sentenced to public execution. We're on our way back to Crete," he said. I noticed that he didn't say he missed me, didn't say he loved me, didn't say he was glad to have me back. I smiled weakly, but inside I felt nothing but icy disappointment and sadness.

And then his words hit home.

"Executed?" I let out a strangled yelp. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! This couldn't be happening.

My father smiled coldly. "Yes, serves them right, don't you think?"

Not wanting to alarm my father, I played along. "I think I need some sleep," I said curtly. He kissed my cheek awkwardly and left.

Then I panicked. I was being taken back to Crete, my first _real_ family was being executed, and I was helpless to stop any of it. Tears clouded my eyes. Grief flooded me. Silently, I let the teas fall. Then suddenly, anger began pulsing through my veins. How could my father do this to me? Didn't he see that they were better to me than he had ever been? All my life, I was shut out by my dad. Helen hated me, treated me like an emotionless pet that would always do her biding and grow up to be the monster that she wanted me to be.

Finally, peace settled over me. I had defied their will so many times before, who said I couldn't do it now? With that thought in mind, I drifted back to sleep.

I woke up again, in the same place. However, someone different leaned over me. I recognized features without putting the puzzle together. Sea-green eyes, tussled raven hair, a toned, tan face, washed in the faint glow of bronze.

"Annabeth?" Percy whispered. Hearing his voice made me snap into an alert mode. "We don't have much time until they find that I'm missing from the cells, or someone sees that unconscious guards outside the room. You have to come with me. I've got the keys to the cells, we can free the crew and escape. There's a small island a little ways away. We can swim there. Hurry, before it's too late," he said, his voice urgent.

I swept my legs out of bed and let out a small shriek at the realization that I wasn't wearing anything but undergarments. I blushed and motioned for Percy to turn around. He obliged.

Now, I rushed around the room, looking for clothes. There was a large wooden closet, so I tried in there. The best thing that I could find was a sleeveless cream dress that was tight-fitting up top, but loose and flowed from the waist down. A small belt of blue cloth hugged my waist, separating the upper and lower parts of the dress. I didn't bother with shoes.

"Let's go," I whispered to Percy. He said nothing, just grabbed my wrist and led me out the door.

Out the door and straight into my father.

"YOU!" My father yelled. "You," he repeated, quitter now, but with a deadliness laced through the words. "Trying to capture my daughter again? Well, you have obviously failed. Now, prepare to meet your death _sooner_. Because you, my dear friend, will be executed first."

He pushed Percy towards his guards, and they caught him, pulling his sword, called Riptide, out of his hands. They roughly led him along the hallway, pausing every once in a while to land a kick or punch on their 'new toy'. By the time I lost sight of him, he was hanging limply in their grasp, moaning in pain every time they beat him.

Tears welled in my eyes, but I let Father lead me back to bed, let Father clumsily try to take the dress off of my, but in the end he gave up. I did it myself and curled up under the covers. As if seeing Percy beaten so badly wasn't enough, my father spoke, bringing more bad news. "The executions will be tomorrow, lasting throughout the week. I'll send your mother in the morning to help you get ready," he said briskly.

After he left, a startling realization formed inside of me. I remembered the day I was captured, the way my heart fluttered in my chest when I found Luke's note. The way I had rushed around, making sure I looked perfect for him. I remembered the way that that had faded into pure hate and anger. Now, I remembered the day I met Percy, the way I had hated him. And suddenly, it had faded into a fluttery feeling. Not quite like the one Luke had given me. Stronger. As I stared up at the ceiling, I pondered the thought that I might fall in love with Percy Jackson.

I fell asleep, a smile gracing my lips.

I woke up the next day, a ball of dread settling in the pit of my stomach. Today was the day of the executions.

We arrived in Crete, and everybody set themselves up in the palace. I went and hid in my room.

After freshening myself up, I sat and waited for Queen Butt-face herself. I didn't have to wait long for Helen to enter in all of her glory. Her black hair was braided down to her waist, and her tanned face was adorned with makeup that made her look even queenlier. She wore a rich violet dress, with long but tightly fitted sleeves and a billowing skirt. It was decorated with gold, and her neck held a shimmering gold necklace that matched her gold crown and earrings. A silken red dress was draped over her arm.

When she looked at me, she was instantly appalled. "What did you do to your hair? And you did an _atrocious_ thing with your makeup. Too natural," she stated, quick to point out my flaws. The truth was, I wasn't wearing any makeup, and my hair was pulled up into a messy bun to keep it out of my face until Helen came. I sighed. Here we go again.

After she called in her maid, my hair was poked, prodded and pulled until it rested in a delicate high ponytail, with a jeweled crown for decoration. My face was also poked, prodded and pulled until my lips were cherry red, my face showed no signs of imperfection, and my lashes were so long I could braid them. Then Helen set out the dress.

It was red, _blood_ red. The top was tight and sleeveless, and it came with a small white shawl to put over my arms. A belt of diamonds signaled the beginning of the skirt. It was layers of ruffles, each getting bigger than the last. It ended at the floor, where my feet were to be put in white diamond encrusted flats. Helen and the others left the room at my insistence, and I looked at the dress again.

When I was sure Helen and her posse of people were gone, I put the dress in my closet and took out a simple black sleeveless dress instead. I's skirt was floor-length, slightly loose, and rippled when I walked. It was a small act of defiance, but it was one none the less.

The execution was held in the stadium. A small box for the royal family had the best view of a quickly installed 'stage', and almost all of Crete was packed into the rest of the seating area. Helen gave me a look of disgust as I sat there in my black dress, but said nothing.

When Percy was brought out, I was sure my heart stopped. He was bruised heavily, gravely skinny, with ripped clothes and shackled hands. He looked up at me, and his eyes said everything. He knew this was the end, he hoped that I would be happy when it was over, but the best and worst thing was the affection in his eyes. Knowing that he felt the same way made it even more painful. I blinked back my tears. Everything was blurring, fading.

The executioner walked out, his blade shiny, sharp, and full of death. He wore a black robe. Black for death. Black for grief. Black for the end.

Percy was strapped down onto the table they had brought out. He took on a look of calm, and the executioner gave him the time to say his last words. He didn't speak, only nodded at me. My heart was ripped out, stomped on, shattered, broken. Mother and Father smiled coldly.

The blade fell.

**Please don't hate me… okay, you hate me. I'm sorry, but this is the way it was meant to be. You'll see. Maybe. Um, with that said, bye, but PLEASE keep reading! Something good will come out of this, I promise. Don't give up on Percy yet!**

**PandaBearPotter**


	8. Chapter 7

**Hello again! I know you're anxious, so that's why I'm trying to update quickly. I promise this one won't be left on a cliffhanger… as much of a cliffhanger… ummm… Well, I don't own PJO HoO, and here we go again!**

_Chapter 7_

Something inside me stirred as I watched the blade draw closer and closer to Percy's neck. Something I had never felt before. Something supernatural. Something…. Godly.

And, as if it had hit an invisible obstacle, the blade stopped. Later I would remember seeing a dove cross overhead, a rose clutched in its grasp. I would put two and two together to realize that it was the power of Aphrodite interfering with the execution, but not yet. The only thing on my mind was Percy.

I stood up and ran. Ran from the box, ran from my mother, ran to Percy, ran to save him from this fate.

My black dress rippled behind me as I approached the stage. I pulled my dagger out, which I had hidden beneath my dress, and sliced Percy's bonds away. I had no idea how much longer the blade would be held up, and I didn't intend to find out. The executioner tried again, lifting the blade and dropping it to no avail.

"Go!" I screamed to Percy over the screams of the audience. "Find us a boat. We're sailing away. I'll get the crew," I whispered, so only he could hear. Percy nodded, and we took off in opposite directions.

I could hear my father calling my name desperately as I ran, and it broke my heart, but I still ran. Ran for all I was worth, until I realized I had made it to my destination.

The dungeon.

I attacked the first guard viciously, knocking him unconscious and moving to the next. I repeated the process until all that stood between me and the cell that held the crew was a barred door. Sliding the key ring off of one of the passed out guard's belt, I tried every key until one clicked.

The door swung open.

The crew poured out, and ran after me. It was a wordless process. All I could hear was an intense buzzing in my ears.

We arrived at one of Crete's harbors, and I spotted Percy aboard one of the bigger boats.

"Come on!" I yelled to the crew, and we all rushed toward the ship.

Once safely aboard the large boat, Percy closed his eyes, and a job that once took many sailors began to do it on its own. The ship pulled away from the harbor.

Guards armed with bows and arrows began taking shots at the ship. I spotted a cannon being wheeled out, be we were too far away.

I was granted access to one of the nicer cabins aboard the ship. As I settled down into the bed, I wondered why I had abandoned my old life. Why had I cut Percy's bonds? I could have let things go back to normal, let Percy be executed. But I hadn't. Why?

"Love, my dear," a voice said. I bit back a scream, and I sat up to find a stunning woman sitting in the plush chair on the other side of the cabin. She was by far the prettiest woman I had ever seen. I was jealous of her brown curls, no, wait, her amber braid, no wait, her black locks. Her appearance kept changing, becoming more and more beautiful.

"Aphrodite," I decided.

"Yes, my dear," she crooned. "I am Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty and love!"

"Why are you here?" I asked shakily.

"Why, I'm here to answer your questions, my dear!" Aphrodite giggled. "I think I've done a splendid job so far, have I not?"

"What _questions_?" I asked, while in my head, I screamed a different answer: _How about you answer this question: what would it take to get you to go away?_

"You were questioning your actions, right, my dear? You wondered why you had saved Percy. I gave you an answer to that, my dear. You did it for _love_," she swooned.

"I didn't… just… save Percy," I managed. "I saved… the whole… crew… with him."

"My dear, you are so clueless!" She said with affection, like I was her pet. "Mind so sharp with wisdom, but heart lost in a confusing maze of walls."

"I'm not _confused_, and I certainly do not have walls 'protecting' myself," I said, but a part of me knew she was right.

"The walls are coming up again, my dear. You fight desperately; you hate to give in. But, my dear, in order for you to truly save Percy, the crew, the gods, you must let your walls crumble."

"I-"

"Let your walls crumble," she said, and in a puff of perfume, she was gone.

I shivered in the warm cabin, pulled my blankets to my chin, and sleep consumed me.

Of course, dreams did to.

I was in a monstrous cavern. There was a deep pit in front of me, and it seemed to go down forever. _Tartarus_.

A figure was standing beside me, a hood covering his head. "Master. You have called me," the hooded figure said.

A voice echoed from the pit, deep, ravenous, like a blade scraping iron. "One more, and I shall rise," it said.

"Yes, Master. I have our candidates planned out. One looks especially promising… Ethan Nakamura, Master," the hooded figure replied.

"I will need a body," the pit said.

"I'm sure we can find-"

"_You_ will be my body," the pit replied, its voice harsher than before, if possible.

I saw the hooded figure's blue eyes widen. _Familiar_ blue eyes. I couldn't help myself. I gasped. Before I knew what was happening, a sword was pulled out of the hooded figure's robes, and it was plunging through the air, towards me. Just as it hit my chest, the dream dissolved into darkness.

Now, the darkness was seeping over my body, forming chains that bound me spread-eagle to an invisible surface. I struggled desperately, but the black chains wouldn't break. Slowly, they morphed into hands, just as dark as the chains. The hands tightened their grip on my wrists and ankles and pulled me every which way. My body felt like snapping, and I fought harder. Then, the hands changed into ivy, still as dark as midnight. The ivy began lacing its way up my legs and arms, wrapping itself around my body. Then the ivy began binding my legs together, pulling my arms to my sides. I was bound in ivy so tightly that I couldn't move. And the ivy trickled over my face, wrapping tighter and tighter, finally covering my mouth. I fought for breath, but it was dying away. It finally came to a point where I knew this breath was my last, and I suffocated completely.

_Outside of Annabeth's dream…._ (3rd Person POV)

Annabeth was in the infirmary. They had found her in her cabin the morning, struggling against some invisible force. Now, Percy, Jason, Luke, Piper, Hazel, Frank, and Leo were gathered around her bedside, watching her silently.

Will Solace, their best healer, bustled over to the group. "Two at a time," he said. Hazel, Frank, Piper, Leo, and Jason left, leaving Luke and Percy.

Percy and Luke watched her intently, as she began to silently scream and fought harder. Pain was etched on her face. Percy tentatively put a hand on her wrist, and it came smacking around, trying desperately to free itself from an invisible grasp.

Then, Annabeth relaxed, confusion evident on her face as whatever imaginary bond on her wrists and ankles slackened. Violently, her legs jerked together and her arms slammed to her sides. She grew motionless, taking ragged deep breaths. Her breathing began to halter, like something was choking her, and, after around a minute, stopped altogether.

A cold smile crept over Luke's face. A look of panic crossed Percy's and he lost all sense of control.

"ANNABETH!" he screamed.

_Annabeth's POV_

I was sure that death had finally claimed me, but when my eyes opened, Will Solace and Percy hovered over me.

"Darkness… Ivy… Chains… Hands… Pulled… Choking…" I whispered, gulping in huge breaths of air.

"What? Annabeth, explain everything," Percy said anxiously.

Will looked him in the eye. "She's not ready to answer questions yet," he said.

"But-"

"If you're going to be a nuisance, leave," Will interrupted. Percy winced and left, looking at me with longing in his eyes. I smiled weakly in reassurance. It didn't seem to help.

Around an hour later, Will came back. "Okay, Annabeth, I'm going to ask you some questions. I don't want you to freak out if you can't answer these questions perfectly, alright? Tell me what you remember."

I thought for a while, trying to cling onto the fleeting memories of the dream. "There was a cavern with a pit… a hooded figure… a voice in the pit…" I thought some more. "The hooded figure… tried to stab me, but the dream disappeared… into blackness…" I let out a small sob of fear and frustration. It was so hard, _so hard_, to find the memories.

"It's okay," Will soothed. "Try some more."

"Chains…" I recalled. "Hands… pulling… ivy… suffocating…" I managed, tears of fear now streaming down my face. I had almost died. I was _this close_ to death. I began to thrash on the bed.

"Stop," Will said, and I stopped. There was something commanding about the way he said it. "I need you to calm down. Do you have any more details?"

I thought for a bit. "The voice," I said. "Kronos. It was Kronos."

"Anything else?" he prodded.

And then it hit me in the face. So hard. Harder than anything ever had.

"Blue eyes," I didn't understand the torrent of emotions that overtook me. I found myself sobbing into Will's shoulder. "_His_ blue eyes."

"Whose?" Will asked softly.

"Luke. The hooded figure was Luke."

**Okay, you all kind of knew it. I promise, more updates coming soon! Hope you liked it. I know, there were a lot of close calls in these chapters, but there's more to come! Fun, fun, fun!**

**PandaBearPotter**


	9. Chapter 8

**I wanted to let you know my schedule for updates and writing: I like to write in the morning when I wake up, and in the evening before I go to bed. I have a conflict in my writing schedule on Mondays, but I will try to write every other morning, bringing you an update every other day or so. I don't own, and another chapter!**

_Chapter 8_

It was the day after I had the dream. I had been released from the infirmary, and I had made Will Solace promise not to share my dream with anybody.

And when I said anybody, I meant _anybody_.

I stood aboard the ship from Crete, standing at the polished rail. The waves lapped hungrily at the ship, in the distance, our destination shimmered like a mirage. It was a tiny island that was apparently stocked with food and other supplies in case of an emergency.

Sailing away from Crete on a stolen ship and running out of provisions sounds like an emergency to me.

I felt a presence beside me, and I looked over to see Percy. "Hey," I said. "What's the plan?"

He smiled wryly. "I thought you were the daughter of Athena, the one who always has a plan."

"Yeah, well, my plan is to find out the plan from you," I replied, a smile creeping onto my face. After all we had been through, it felt kind of… _right_ to have him by my side.

"We dock at the island, stay there while Leo, Beckendorf, and the other Hephaestus kids start building a new ship, and a few smaller boats for attacks. We launch a few surprise assaults on Kronos and his crew while we're here, and when the ship's finished, we head out."

I thought for a bit. "I think I may be of some use to you guys after all," I said.

We arrived at the island a while later. Jason stood by the gangplank, and addressed the crowd.

"We have arrived at this island due to our undesirable situation. The Hephaestus kids, led by Leo and Charles, will start building a new ship. We will plan small surprise attacks on Kronos and his forces and carry them out while we are here. Percy, Luke, Annabeth, Clarisse, and I will scout the island for threats while you guys wait here. Percy, Luke Annabeth and Clarisse, come with me." Then, Jason lowered the gangplank and stepped off of the stolen ship.

I gently pushed my way through the crowd and off of the large ship. I was met by an island paradise.

It was a smaller island, but big enough to sustain the whole crew for a long time. One half of the circular island was almost pure white beach, with palm trees sprouting up here and there. Arranged in a circle was an assortment of huts, one for each god/goddess represented by the crew. The same amount of tables occupied another part of the space. A single hut for storage was placed near the other half of the island.

The other half of the island was dense forest, perfect for finding food, and where there were trees, there was water. There was a small building near the beach on this side, by the looks of it, a forge.

"It really looks… _perfect_," I said to Percy in awe.

"Yeah, well," he said, a bit of bitterness creeping into his voice. "Let's go scout."

We decided to split up, leaving me alone in the jungle-like forest. I started along, using my dagger to chop away some of the dense greenery. There were times when I had to hike up mountainous hills, times when I had to pick my way precariously over a semi-large creek. Nothing threatening appeared in my way, and I was almost back to our rendezvous point when I came across it.

A cave.

It looked pretty natural, carved into the biggest hill I had come across yet. The opening was around door-sized, no bigger. I could tell that it opened up deeper into the cave though. It was then that I knew I had no choice.

I picked to medium sized twigs and struck up a little fire on the end of one. I knew I wouldn't last long, but it was all I had. Into the cave I went.

After around three yards, the cave opened up into a large area. There was no way out other than the way I had come in. I was about to turn around and leave when I heard a whimper. My makeshift torch decided to snuff out right at that moment.

I flew around, my dagger held in front of me. "Who's there?" No response. "Show yourself!" I cried, looking around wildly.

A Cyclops emerged from a corner, wearing a shirt made of leaves and pants that matched the shirt. It had scraggly brown hair and a giant chocolate eye. The beast wasn't tall for a Cyclops, so it must have been a child.

"No hurt," it said pitifully. Suddenly I didn't really have the heart to kill it. I bit my lip.

"Stay here," I said, keeping an undertone of menace in my voice. "I'll be back with my friend. We'll decide what to do with you."

The beast whimpered again, retreating to its corner.

I ran all of the way to the rendezvous point, panting hard. Percy, Jason and Luke were there. "Cyclops," I said. Percy and Jason looked alarmed. Luke seemed passive and mumbled something about killing it, all the while twirling his sword.

His sword… it was different. One side glinted bronze, the other harsh steel. I didn't like the blade.

"It… seems harmless, but," I trailed off.

"Lead us there," Percy said.

"Luke, stay here and wait for Clarisse," Jason added.

The three of us set off.

The Cyclops child was exactly where I left it, huddled in the corner. "Well…" Jason said hesitantly. "We could kill it, better safe than sorry, but…"

The Cyclops turned around. "Tyson will not hurt," he whimpered.

"We can't kill him," Percy said quietly.

"No," Jason agreed. "Um, Tyson, why are you here?"

"Daddy Poseidon guided me here, said people come soon! You are people? Daddy said people will help," he said, as if that explained everything.

Jason and I studied him intently, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw Percy's face whitening. "You're my _brother_?" he asked incredulously.

Tyson's eyes brightened. "Brother!" he said happily, and bounded over. I had no idea what he was going to do, stab Percy, clonk him over the head? It took me completely by surprise when he wrapped Percy in a crushing hug.

"Well, the Elder Cyclops were amazing builders…" I said slowly, an idea forming in my mind. "We can get Beckendorf to teach Tyson some stuff, and maybe he can help out with some of the things for the new ship."

Jason thought for a while. "That's a good idea. I'll go get him and the crew right now, in fact."

Tyson released Percy and turned to Jason, oblivious about what had been happening around him. "Brother?" he asked, a bit of hope in his voice.

"No, no," Jason laughed. "But I'm going to get you a new friend." Tyson seemed satisfied with this, and watched Percy and Jason depart. Then he turned to me.

"You are pretty," he said shyly. I licked my lips. This was going to be a while.

"How long have you been here?" I asked.

"Three days," he answered. "Found nice berries, found leaves and sticky stuff from inside trees."

Okay, so he made his clothes out of leaves and sap. He had been depleting resources for three days. It wasn't too bad…

"Do you want to stay in the cave?" I asked, attempting to find sleeping/eating/working arrangements for him.

"Sleep with brother. Eat with friends! Work in mysterious building," he replied. Perfect. He wanted to sleep with Percy in his hut, eat with the crew for meals, and work in the forge, which I assumed was the mysterious building.

Just then, Jason and Percy came back in with Beckendorf. "Friend!" Tyson cried.

Beckendorf got right down to business. "So, how much do you know about metalworking?" he asked.

"Not much," Tyson replied timidly.

"Tell you what. We'll go down to the forge, get started on a new project that you can help me with. You'll catch on," Beckendorf said earnestly, and the pair left.

"Well, it looks like…" Percy trailed off.

I finished for him. "We've made a new friend." Smiling, I left the cave to join the others.

**There! I've accomplished not leaving a chapter on a cliff-hanger. Nice meeting Tyson, right? I apologize for any lateness I will have putting chapters up; Google Chrome has these moments where it just won't respond and I can't do anything for a while… sad. So apologies there… thank you to all of my reviewers. Special thanks to MangoFromMars for helping with their eye for detail! Until next time!**

**PandaBearPotter**


	10. Chapter 9

**Hello again! I'm assuming you read my last authors note, but if not, that's okay. It's all fixed I think. I don't own, I don't think there is anything else to say, except for thanks to all of my reviewers! And so we go.**

_Chapter 9_

Life was good on the island. We had good meals, good conditions, and had made good progress on the ship. Tyson was a big help, making stuff in half the time with his large hands. Several smaller boats had been made for quick escape or a surprise attack.

Clarisse had found a herd of pegasi on her route, which was why she was late (she had brought the pegasi with her to the rendezvous point). Now, we had a makeshift stable for the creatures. Percy and a black steed named Blackjack had formed a special bond.

Since it was a fairly boring island, we had decided to do some training session. Silena Beauregard taught pegasi riding lessons, Percy and Luke taught sword fighting, I pitched in for the dagger fighters, Malcolm taught Ancient Greek, Michael Yew taught archery, and so on. From a boring place, it had turned into a busy place.

I had discovered Iris messages, which would be quite useful if I had someone to contact. I had considered contacting my father and tell him I was alright, but that didn't seem quite right after I had saved his captives' lives and stolen one of his best ships. Oh, we would return it…. I think.

Finally, Jason decided that it was time for the first 'war council'. One representative for each hut, which we had generously called cabins, gathered around a tree stump at around 9 at night. Fancy.

"We have decided to act against Kronos and his army. They have weakened us, but that doesn't mean we are too weak to strike back. Small, but effective attacks will be in order. Any ideas?" Jason started.

While other discussions went on, something was forming in my mind… "We could have a small party, maybe two or three, go up on pegasi. They would have to be exceptional archers, as the mission is to pick of some of his army from above. If they start firing, the party leaves. Not much damage done to either side, but we can lower his numbers," I suggested.

Beckendorf spoke up. "This is a little drastic, but will probably put them out of commission for a while. Two people, me and someone else, go aboard the ship. We go to the engine room, I set up some explosives. We slip away unnoticed into the sea, and swim away to a safe distance before we detonate the explosives. The ship will most likely blow up, putting them in around the same position that we are."

Percy spoke up. "I'll go underwater, beneath their ship. I'll use my sword and poke some holes, sending some nice seawater their way. Not enough to sink the ship, but enough to keep them busy so we can isolate more targets for the aerial attack," he suggested.

"These are all good ideas. I will keep them in mind, and put them into play soon. However, I would like some time to think before we put these in action. If you wouldn't mind, this meeting is adjourned for tonight," Jason said. Everyone left except for Percy and me.

I sat down on the tree stump, which now had a map of Greece and the seas carved onto it. Little x's were stationed in various places. I must have been thinking when they had done that.

"Look at the stars," I said, tilting my head back. Percy took this as an invitation to sit beside me, head also facing the heavens. "Do you know any constellations?" I asked him.

"A few," he admitted. "Over there is…" He kept talking, but I focused my eyes on him instead. His focus was completely on the little balls of light, and he didn't notice my gaze. I wondered in awe at how, just weeks ago, I was the unsuspecting princess of Crete. I had but one friend, Luke, and no true family. I was engaged to a stranger, had a cold-blooded reptilian mother and a whole island of wonder at my fingertips. Now, I was a pirate, but I had a family, I had more friends than I had ever realized, I had a world of freedom instead of an island of wonder. But most of all, I think I had found someone to love.

"Annabeth, are you listening?" Percy's voice interrupted my train of thought.

I smiled, a bit embarrassed. "No," I replied, and scooted closer. He laughed and took my hand. I used the warmth and courage I found in his touch to place a soft kiss on his cheek.

"Goodnight, Seaweed Brain," I said softly, standing up. He looked shocked, but slowly, a smile crept on to his face.

"Sweet dreams, Wise Girl," he replied, and we parted ways for the night.

The morning was bright and clear, so I thought it might be a good idea to practice my fighting. Apparently, Luke had thought the same thing. His iron and bronze sword flashed against an invisible opponent. He performed a few more maneuvers, and with one final stab, the enemy was vanquished.

I was about to turn and walk away when he noticed me. "Hey, Annie," he said, using an affectionate nickname from my childhood.

"It's Annabeth to you," I said shortly, clipping off each word. He didn't seem to know how to respond until he saw my gaze drifting towards his new weapon.

"I call it Backbiter," he said. "Half bronze, half steel. It can harm mortals and immortals alike. He saw the distrust clouding my eyes and laughed, but it didn't sound like Luke. It sounded hard and cold. "Don't worry; I'll only use it on monsters,"

I frowned. The Hephaestus kids wouldn't make a weapon that dangerous, and looking at it, I could almost tell that someone's life had gone into making the blade. "Hmm," I said, not really wanting to respond.

"Look, I've got to go, but see you around, Annabeth," he said, smiling. Yet again, it didn't look like Luke. It looked cold and hard.

I stood there for a bit, wondering why I hadn't run away. Probably because of that flashy sword that scared me. Anyone who wielded it would have power over innocent mortals and gods at the same time. In my opinion, that was too much for Luke.

Shaking myself out of my thoughts, I stepped into the arena-like structure. Fashioning an opponent in my mind, I began to lash out, striking and slashing. The fake opponent parried and stabbed with ease. My vision tunneled until all I saw was my opponent. We fought in some sort of dance around the arena, switching sides and moving about, all the while getting in a good stab or two. I finally came out of my daydream when I heard a yelp. My eyes focused and found my knife at the throat of Piper.

My eyes widened. "I'm so sorry!" I exclaimed, withdrawing my dagger to its sheath.

"Never mind that, you've been fighting for _hours_, Annabeth. Get some food or something, the whole crew is worried. You've just been off in your own little world for so long. We didn't know what to do other than send someone to stop you!" Concern etched itself on Piper's face. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I said, just now noticing my rumbling stomach, my tired limbs, the sweat pooling off my face and the group of people watching it all unfold. It had seemed like only minutes ago that I had first woken up.

Weird.

The next part of the day was spent relaxing. I ventured out into the forest to find someplace cool to sit down, and eventually decided on the cave where we found Tyson.

I crawled into the darkness of the cave, leaning against the wall. Maybe I would close my eyes for a bit. Sleep overtook me eventually, bringing, as always, dreams.

I was back in the cavern, but the hooded figure wasn't present. Panic crept over me. I could almost see the chains, feel the hands and smell the ivy. I stared into the pit, waiting for the darkness, but all that came was laughter that sounded like Backbiter scraping its way down the bronze neck of Festus, the old figurehead.

Light poured in and the scenery changed. It was Luke, sitting at a small picnic table with a woman who looked on the edge of insane. "I need your blessing, Mom," he said quietly, and the scenery changed again.

It was darker here, but not so dark as the pit. I stood by a river with Luke beside me. The river was sickly in color, with random objects strewn about. A small dress that looked to be for a baby girl floated past, along with a jeweled crown. People's dreams, thrown away as the died, were sucked past.

The River Styx.

The ghostly figure of a man appeared behind us, and said something to Luke that I could not hear. A single tear spattered on the ground in front of Luke. Was he crying? To the ghostly figure, he said, "I must," and then turned.

Taking a deep breath, he plunged into the river.

I woke up to Jason shaking me. "Annabeth!" he said softly.

"What?" I replied groggily.

"Luke's missing."

**Can you guess where he went? (If you read the books and my story, the answer is YES.) I hope that I get them back on the water soon, and would also like to get the surprise attacks going, so that's what you can expect. I think. Anyway, I'm thinking of doing a story made up with a bunch of one-shots (ships, mostly), so prompts are accepted. Names for the new ship are also accepted! Review!**

**PandaBearPotter**


	11. Chapter 10

**I'm back! It's been a while, friends. My hair is pulled back and I'm in my favorite writing spot. It's time to get down to business, guys. I don't own, and so we go.**

_Chapter 10_

My hands flew to my mouth. "How many people know?" It was all I could manage in my shock. The dreams that I had had… what if they were true?

"I was on my way to the forge when I heard someone whimpering in here, so I came in," Jason replied steadily.

"Okay," I said. "Okay. What happened?"

"He left on one of the smaller boats; one was missing this morning. He took a small supply of food and water from storage and some of his belongings are missing. We've determined that he must have left out of fear of the impending war."

"When do we start looking for him?" I asked.

Jason looked grim. "That's the thing we haven't exactly made clear with you. When someone leaves or goes missing, they left of their own choice. We don't follow them. To answer your question more precisely… we don't."

It was a few weeks after Luke had… left. It still felt wrong when I said it like that. No one talked about his disappearance. Jason hadn't named a new second mate yet, and that gave me hope. Hope that Luke would return.

I don't know why I hoped.

Maybe it was because I missed my best friend, maybe it was because I had once liked him… you know… _liked_ him.

Now, I was out on a walk through the woods to help clear my mind. There was so much spinning through it. So many questions…

So many questions, so little answers. I almost walked into a tree before I shook myself out of my thoughts. I was here to clear my head, not confuse it.

And then I heard the voice.

Luke's voice.

"Help," he yelled shakily. His voice seemed to be coming from the clearing up ahead.

"Luke?" I asked incredulously, walking closer so that I was hidden only behind a tree.

"Annie," he said. "Help me, please. I'm hurt; it's my leg."

All of the sudden, rage boiled inside of me. Who did he think he was? I knew, I alone, knew what he had done. "Why should I?" I spat.

"You said," he said breathed. "You said back in Crete that you were all about second chances. Give me a second chance."

I thought for a minute, but I knew what I was going to do even before I did it. "This better not be a trick," I whispered.

"It's not," Luke croaked.

I stepped out from behind the tree. There was no one in the clearing. No bloodied demigod, no sprawling form. No one.

And for the second time in my life, his hand clamped over my mouth and a black bag was thrown over my head.

"You're so naive, Annie. I can't believe you fell for it twice."

When he let go of my mouth I tried to scream but there was no air, and I fell unconscious.

I woke up in a cell.

It was a small, compact room with a small window on one side and the outline of a door on the other. There was a barred window on the door. Only blueish blackish sea was visible from the window. I was on a thin straw bed pushed into a corner. At the side of the room without my bed or the window or the door to occupy it was a hole. I suppose that is my… toilet.

I stood tiredly, quietly noting that I was still in the tight black pants and white shirt from the day of my second kidnapping. Was that today, or yesterday, or a week ago? I had no idea.

Then I realized something. I always tucked my dagger into my sleeve or pant leg… what of it was still there? Patting down my sleeves, I stopped on a hard lump. Thanks the gods that my kidnappers were messy and forgot to check me for weapons. I pull the dagger out before coming to a realization.

I can't use it.

I'm in a room made of metal that I can't cut with my dagger. I could break the window, but that would do nothing but drown me and sink the ship.

Sink the ship… it would come at the cost of my life, but it's an idea, albeit a desperate one.

Only if it comes to that, I decide.

I'm about to put my dagger back in my sleeve when I remember. Lock picking…. Maybe it would work.

I go to work on the door, maneuvering my dagger around, trying to unlock the door to no avail.

It looks like I'm really trapped. Stuck, a damsel in distress. All I need is to be rescued by a hero and I'll really be a legend. The girl who couldn't save herself.

The lock clicks open.

Swinging the door open slightly, I take a look around me. I'm in the dungeons of a boat, a large one. I quickly scan my surroundings. No guards. All clear.

I tiptoe out of the cell, guided by the light of my dagger. Finally, I emerge on deck. It's night; almost no one is present. I'm able to sneak by most of the guards, monsters and crew. I have to send a few monsters to Tartarus before I'm at the edge of the huge trireme.

The water glitters below me, a daunting jump. The moon reflects in the water below, and I bend my knees, sending a hasty prayer to Poseidon before my feet leave the ground.

An arm wraps around my waist, bringing me back to the deck. "Going somewhere?" it hisses.

It's the voice from the pit in my dreams. I squirm around to face the stranger, but it's not a stranger. It's Luke.

His eyes are gold.

Understanding flashes through my mind.

"Kronos," I growl.

He laughs, a laugh of nails scraping down a chalkboard. "Good, little girl. Good. Now, I believe I'll take this," he plucks the dagger out of my clenched fist. "And you should go to bed, miss. There's a cell with your name on it; I'm sure you'll find it just fine."

I build up my courage. "What if I don't want to?" I ask haughtily.

Lu-_Kronos_ smiles evilly. "Why, I'll send you some help. Guards!"

I was dragged back to my cell by two burly monsters and thrown haphazardly to the floor before they locked the door.

Now what?

My mind decided for me and I fell asleep on the cold floor of the cell half an hour later.

Dreams, as always, haunted my mind.

I was back on the island.

Percy was talking to Jason, but by his expression and hand motions, he wasn't happy. There were two bags slung over Percy's shoulder. Dream me drifted closer so I could make out their words.

"I'll go with or without your permission, _Captain_," Percy growled.

"You. Are. Not. Allowed. To. Go!" Jason huffed angrily.

"Look, I'm going to find her and I will get her back no matter what the price!" Percy yelled.

"Percy, we've already lost our second mate and Annabeth! We can't lose you too!"

"You leave me no choice, Jason. I'm sorry."

Percy took off, sprinting towards the beach where the small boats were resting. Once he was close enough, he grabbed a paddle and jumped in the boat, pushing off the shore with his paddle. Jason called after Percy desperately.

Percy didn't look back.

The dream changed.

Now I was in the island's forge. My vision was warped with heat and flecks of ash. Leo stood over in a corner, talking to a misshapen man, whom I guessed was Hephaestus. They were discussing something. I drifted closer to hear what they were saying.

"Your ship is good, my boy, but not good enough," Hephaestus warned Leo.

Leo glared at him, the ends of his fingers catching fire. "And why is that?" He quickly patted out the flames when he noticed them.

"Leo, you must make your ship fly."

This time, the dream dissolved and I was left in a peaceful blackness.

When I woke up, I was expecting to be in the Athena hut, sunlight gently streaming through the window, but instead I was on the cold, hard floor of the cell, darkness consuming the place except for the torchlight coming from the halls. I couldn't tell if it was night or day, and my view of the water didn't help.

And then I remembered my dreams.

Percy was coming to save me… but did I really want that? Here, I had a chance of bringing down the ship with a knock of my elbow at the cost of my life, but on the island… I had no chance at all.

One day. I would wait one day for Percy, but if he didn't make it by then, this ship was coming down.

And I would go down with it.

**Do you like it? I'm trying to finish this off in the next two months; we are coming closer and closer to the end! This was about 100 words longer than normal because I wanted to make up for not updating soon. I'm desperately trying to finish before school starts again; my writing schedule gets out of whack and the space between updates is longer. I'm also going to start on a sequel to this called Ocean, but I can't tell you about that without spoiling the ending for this one. THERE WILL BE NO GIANT WAR, just a heads up about that. PM or review any questions or concerns! Goodbye for now, and I will see you soon!**

**PandaBearPotter**


	12. Chapter 11

**Aaaaaaaaaaaaaand I'm back. I'm so sorry for not updating sooner. No real excuses except for school starting soon. Um, I really don't have much to say… I guess we'll get started. I don't own, and so we go!**

_Chapter 11_

Breakfast that consisted of a slice of stale bread and a tiny cup of water was pushed through the little slot at the bottom of the door, and I realized.

Today was the day. Last night I had dreamed of Percy on his quest to save me, but it didn't look like he was going to make it in time. This ship was going down the moment lunch was pushed through the slot.

I was going to die today.

My father would be devastated, my step-monster-_mother_ overjoyed. I would miss Percy greatly, and I would miss… life. I would miss the thrill of fear, the joy of love, the awkward moments, the warmth of friendship, even the boiling anger. I would miss living.

I slowly picked at my breakfast, trying to savor the last meal I would ever eat. It was bland. And kind of sad. I couldn't do it anymore and shoved the last of the bread in my mouth hastily, downing the last drops of water.

I sat down on the floor of the cell, running my finger absently against my torn clothes. Thoughts and memories swirled around my head, but instead of pushing them away, I relived my life.

_I giggled, swishing around the periwinkle birthday dress that I wore today. The ends swirled around my knees lazily. A white petal from one of the roses in my hair fell at my feet. I looked at it in wonder as a maid laughed at my adorably confused –five-year-old face._

"_Come on," the maid prompted me. "Let's go down and see the guests."_

_I was excited by this notion and giggled again, half tripping, half running down the stairs._

_The castle's ballroom stretched out in front of me. Lords and ladies danced around the floor, while younger guests stumbled about, confused on how to dance. Caught in the happy mood, I grabbed a boy around my age's hand and pulled him into a makeshift version of what the adults were doing._

_I tripped over the boy's foot at one point and fell, but he helped me up, his green eyes shining. I just giggled and we proceeded in our 'dance'._

_It was a wonderful, carefree birthday._

_I met the green-eyed boy again on my tenth birthday. I was a bit more refined by this point and simply stared quietly and observed the mint-green dress the maids had chosen for me. It came down closer to my ankles, and was cinched at the waist with a golden belt. I had a little golden necklace on and a small golden crown._

_I proceeded to the ballroom again, this time without the help of a maid. I was greeted by a sight similar to what I had found on my fifth birthday, but this time, the guests my age danced in perfect harmony to the lords and ladies._

_I stepped cautiously onto the floor, wondering where I could find myself a dance partner. A pair of green eyes looking my way caught my attention, and I headed over to the boy. He smirked at me, and I was a little bit confused. Wasn't this the same happy boy I danced with five years ago?_

"_I'm Prince Jacob," he said snottily._

_I licked my lips. Not another one of _these_ boys. They were all so stuck up, obsessed with their title._

"_Princess Annabeth," I replied tightly._

"_Oh, I know who you are, Princess. Wonderful place, Crete, isn't it?"_

_I decided not to reply. "Dance?" I said, nodding towards all of the couples dancing._

"_So eager to get my hand in yours, Princess? How could I refuse?"_

_I almost retorted back, but caught my tongue. Be respectful, I told myself._

_We danced, with Prince Jacob making arrogant comments here and there._

_It was not as great of a birthday._

"_You're engaged to Prince Jacob, Annabeth," Helen told me._

_The name triggered the memory of my tenth birthday. Oh, no, I thought. Not him, not him, please not him._

"_I believe he attended your tenth birthday celebration. Green eyes, brown hair. Does he sound familiar?" Father asked._

"_Yes," I said, forcing my grimace into a smile. "Yes, he was quite…" I trailed off._

"_Charming?" Helen asked. "Yes, I know. Wonderful boy."_

"_When do we… get married?" I asked Helen tentatively._

"_The day of your eighteenth birthday," Father informed me._

"_What?" I cried. "You expect me to marry a boy I've met twice in my life in five years? That is not going to happen if I have anything to say about it!" This is the part where I took off running._

Now, I started to reflect on the more recent events, like being captured and brought aboard the _Argo III, _receiving the prophecy from the Oracle at Delphi, my first battle, befriending Hazel, Frank, Leo, Percy, Jason and Piper, playing a fateful game of truth or dare, coming back to Crete, arriving on the island, life on the island, Luke coming back and capturing me again, and now ending up here.

Suddenly, I began to imagine a future for myself, other than death. A future where Percy rescued me and everything was… happy.

_Percy and I ran out onto the deck. "Jump!" He yelled as we neared the water._

"_Are you crazy? I can't breathe underwater!" I shouted back as I dodged a flaming arrow._

_We reached the end and, not knowing what else to do, I jumped with Percy. We splashed down safely in the water, and I felt something move under my legs._

_A beautiful hippocampus burst out of the water beside me. Following Percy's lead, I grabbed onto its neck and pulled myself onto its back._

_Weapons rained down on us, but we managed to not get hit and swim away from the enemy trireme._

_Percy turned around to face me. "I'm so glad you're okay. You had me worried there, Annabeth," he murmured._

_I smiled at him and pulled him into a somewhat awkward hug. As we both drew back, I pressed my lips to his in a fleeting kiss. He turned back around, and I wrapped my arms around his waist before falling asleep with my head resting on his back._

_Luke had come to his senses and thrown Kronos out of his body, ending the war. All was happy aboard the _Argo IV_, as the new ship was called. Jason had stepped down from captain after he realized that Percy was the true leader. Jason now occupied the spot of first mate. Luke was almost removed from his position, but kept it as they realized that he was a hero, even though he did wrong._

_He had called us into the dining hall to make an announcement. I sat with the other Athena crew members, talking and laughing while we waited for Percy to begin._

"_Attention!" Percy called. Immediately, the ship fell silent and everyone's attention shifted to him._

"_I have called you here today to mark the beginnings of a new era. An era of peace filled with wonder and joy. No longer shall we fear Kronos, or any evil. We will no longer be pirates. No more stealing, no more tricking or capturing. Instead, we will be explorers, adventurers and discoverers. Our new era will be filled with good."_

_Percy continued to deliver a powerful speech, but I wasn't really listening. I was staring deep into his beautiful green eyes, the beautiful green eyes that I was in love with. I stared at the bob of tousled black hair, the tousled black hair that I had fallen in love with._

_I stared at Percy, the Percy I had fallen in love with._

_He was wrapping up his announcement now, and I tuned in to hear his last words._

"_And I would like to personally start this era of love." He looked at me, grey eyes meeting green. "Annabeth Chase, Princess of Crete, I will stand beside you forever and always. I love you, so much. Will you-"_

"_Yes," I said, cutting him off. The crowd parted as I pushed my way through to Percy. As we kissed, the crew cheered behind us._

"Now," I whispered to myself.

That future would no longer be mine. I would lose everything, but everything would be saved. As my last chance to back out hovered in front of me, lunch slid through the slot on the door.

My elbow slammed against the window.

**I put this chapter in the really help you know Annabeth. Bits of her past, how she imagines the future. PM or review any questions!**

**PandaBearPotter**


	13. Chapter 12

**I tried to get this one up as soon as possible! School starts scarily soon, but there is a possibility that updates won't be quite as slow as they usually are… I tried to get this one out there fast because of my suspenseful ending. Well, I don't own, and so we go!**

_Chapter 12_

A drop of the ocean mixed with my blood as the shattered glass slit my elbow. Cracks spider-webbed out from the point of impact, but the window, surprisingly, held. Water was trickling in through the gaps, though, and soon enough the pressure would push the window away.

But, for now, I stood there in shock. I was still here; still alive. I was alive. I was still alive.

As the water began to pool on the floor around my feet, I realized that being alive now didn't matter. It was only a matter of time before the water came rushing in.

"No," I muttered. "No, no, no. What have I done?" I sank to my knees, overtaken by the need to live. "No," I said the word as if it would save me from the fate I had brought upon myself.

There was a thin sheen of water covering the floor now. Bits of straw from my bed floated lazily around.

"No," I said, a little bit louder. I raised my voice in panic as the water reached my ankles. "No, no, no, no!" The water dripped through the window a little bit faster now, and the water level had risen to the bottom of my shins.

"NO!" I was screaming by this point, the water creeping slowly up my legs.

There was suddenly a rattling sound. I whipped around, and what I saw almost made me cry.

Percy stood outside my cell door, one hand fiddling with something that I guessed was the lock, his other hand wrapped around the bars of my window. His green eyes met mine.

"Annabeth. Shhhh. Everything's okay. We'll make it out of here," he said, but his voice sounded grim.

"P-P-Percy," I somewhat whimpered.

All of my courage was gone, and I was broken. I had come this close to losing it all.

I sank to the floor of my cell, the water now soaking my legs and traveling up my waist. There was a click from the door, and it was thrown open. My fingers fluttered around my mouth as the water gently rushed past me and into the hall. Percy stood there in the doorway, a ghost of a smile lighting his features.

"Come on, let's get you out of here," he whispered. He offered me his hand and I took it, allowing him to help pull me up from the floor. Before he could move, I wrapped my arms around Percy and pulled myself to him. After a moment of hesitation, he enveloped me in his arms. I looked up at him, and our faces were inches apart. So close that if I moved in just a little bit, my lips would be on his. Before I could, Percy cleared his throat and let go of me.

"We… we should go," he said. I quietly stepped back and nodded, feeling myself stand up a little straighter and gathering my courage, doing a temporary mend on my brokenness. Without even noticing, my walls came up again.

I stepped out of the cell, not looking back as I walked, slowly picking up the pace until I was jogging. The water was spread pretty thin, so my feet didn't splash much, but a gentle spray of water sprung up when my feet touched the ground.

We emerged on deck, only to find Luke/Kronos standing there, smirking.

"Thought you could get away, did you?"

Percy cursed in Ancient Greek. "Annabeth, there's a hippocampus waiting for us on that side of the boat," he discreetly motioned with his hands as he spoke out of the side of his mouth. "Get on it and go. You'll be safe. I'll do the best I can to stop him and his crew from following you."

The damsel-in-distress part of me wanted to follow his instructions and leap into the ocean to get away, but the other half of me conquered it.

"No," I said. "I'm not leaving without you."

Kronos/Luke laughed. "Foolish, foolish, Annabeth," he smirked.

I surprised him by rushing forward, sweeping out my leg to knock him off his feet. Kronos fell, and Percy rushed forward to strike him in the chest. It would be a fatal blow.

Riptide soared through the air and bounced off of Kronos's chest.

"Foolish," Kronos stated simply. "Guards!" He took his time getting up, lazily almost.

A mixture of monsters and demigods rushed forward and took hold of my arms. They tried to get Percy, but he fended them off with Riptide.

That's when he saw me being dragged away. "Stop," he called, with such authority and anger that the guards did stop for a moment. "Take me instead," he said.

"No, Percy," I cried. Kronos made a motion with his hand and the guards dropped my arms. I fell haphazardly onto the deck. Percy dropped Riptide and let his arms be seized.

"Go," he said, and then he was gone.

"I'm coming back for you Percy," I said. "I swear."

With that, I ran to the edge of the ship and jumped.

Despite what you may think, I didn't leave.

In fact, I stayed right by the ship, waiting and plotting, until sunset. Apparently, they had covered the window; otherwise the ship would have probably begun to sink.

When colors began to paint the sky, I slid off the hippocampus, ignoring my hunger. Slowly, using nails, uneven boards, anything I could find, I climbed up the side of the boat. By the time I was pulling myself up onto the deck, I was out of breath.

The sun sank beneath the horizon and darkness enveloped me. I squatted into a crouch and scanned the ship for signs of people on deck. There were a few crew members here and there, but that didn't matter, because my goal was the hatch that led to the dungeons.

Slowly, I crawled over, careful to test out floorboards to see if they squeaked before putting my weight on them. I winced as the hinges on the hatch squealed somewhat noisily, but it didn't matter because I was pulling the door closed over my head before anyone could look over.

I crept down the stairs, nothing to light my way. For the first time since I had jumped off the ship, a shock of fear zapped through my body. What was I doing? Surely it would have been smarter to go back and bring Jason, or someone. Surely Percy could have called on the sea to flood the ship, making his escape through the ocean.

No, I chided myself. This was it. No backing out. I had made it this far.

I stumbled along the dark corridor, peering into cells to try to find Percy. Everyone looked the same. Slumped forms that couldn't be made out without the light were the only thing that greeted me when I looked through the bars.

I made it to the end of the corridor without finding a clue to where Percy was.

And then I heard the mumbles. Someone was talking in their sleep. I listened closely. The voice sounded male, a bit like Percy's. The words were incoherent, but I followed the sound to a cell.

It was my cell, but there were wooden boards nailed over the window. I tried to get a closer look at the sleeping form, but it was too dark. But a word that the form mumbled in its sleep sounded familiar.

Something like Nabath. No, Nabeth. No, _Annabeth_.

It was Percy.

I worked quickly, using a pin from my hair that had been tangled in there to pick the lock.

It was taking too long. A patrol was bound to come by soon, and Percy and I needed to be out of here before that happened.

"Come on, come on," I mumbled, fiddling with the pin some more.

With a loud click that was sure to alert someone of my presence, the door unlocked.

I pushed it open hastily, wasting no time to enter the cell.

Running to his side, I reached out to shake Percy awake.

And that's when I noticed the blood.

**Alright! That's how you get a chapter done without meaning to get a chapter done! Seriously, I was just writing this and then I realized that it was as long as it needed to be (I make sure that all of my chapters are like 1,300 words long at least). So, I thought of a suspenseful way to end it (yeah, do you hate me yet?), and ended it there! I hope this came out soon enough for you, I know that last chapter's ending was a little scary. Review! Oh, and don't forget to check out my poll. I need opinions on that matter. And hey! This thing is almost 20,000 words long! Actually, it might already be that long! Three cheers for me! :D**

**PandaBearPotter**


	14. Chapter 13

**Back again, my friends! I'm sorry, it's been a while… but today I'm going to buckle down and write. Okay, real quick, there is a mention of beating and a bit of blood in here, so be warned. Let's get this show on the road. I don't own, and so we go!**

_Chapter 13_

"Oh my gods."

Percy looked bad. His clothing was horribly torn, and I could see sickly purple bruises forming on him. Blood was smeared all over. It was horrible. Not only him, but just seeing him hurt me in a way that I didn't know it would.

They had beaten him. Oh, gods, they had beaten him in only the few hours he had been here. It was my fault. He had done this for me. Oh, gods, it was my fault.

I felt a salty tear trickle down my cheek as I looked at his motionless body. It dripped off of my chin and onto his back, but it was enough to wake him.

"Annabeth," he groaned quietly. He winced, and I could tell he was in pain.

"Shh. I promise we'll get out of here, okay?" I said, choosing to ignore the fact that Percy was in pain, because if I didn't, I swear I would have a total meltdown.

Helping Percy stand was a bit of a process, but we managed. Slowly and silently, we made our way across the ship, climbing to the deck. As we neared the edge, I began to ponder what to do with Percy being hurt and all. And so I decided on the most sensible thing to do, him being a son of Poseidon and all.

I pushed him off the edge and into the water.

Percy surfaced a moment later, looking more… alive. I wanted to laugh as he shook out his hair like a dog and pulled himself up onto the hippocampus that was waiting for us. It was a quick, silent escape.

After we had gotten a fair distance from the trireme, I looked back at him and saw Percy smiling. I felt a little smile tugging at my face, too.

"What?" I asked when I couldn't take it anymore.

"It's just…" Percy started. "When you first were, uh, captured, you were… different. You held a kind of anger and prissiness. I didn't really like you all that much, but I felt bad. And you began to change. I can't even compare the strong, independent person you are now to who you were. Annabeth, you've grown so much and it makes me… proud." He finished in a whisper that sent shivers up my spine.

The answer came to me all at once, out of nowhere, in a flash.

"The Curse of Achilles," I whispered.

"What?" Percy asked.

"Lu-Kronos has the Curse of Achilles. If we have any chance of fighting him, we need _you_ to get it too."

"Okay."

I was surprised at his willingness to do this, but I knew that we had to move fast.

"They're going to attack us, full out, soon. We need to do this now," I said softly.

I could practically hear the gears turning in Percy's mind.

"No," he said. "We're going to go back to the island. I'm going to go on my mission with Beckendorf, and then I'll do this with a kid named Nico. He can help me with this."

I bit my lip. "Okay."

It all seemed rushed. Unreal. But I went along with it. If this was our fate, then so be it.

We returned to the island to see… emptiness. There was no one on the beach. Just empty huts. It was devoid of life, it seemed, but then we heard the faint sound of gasping from through the forest. It was in the direction of the forge. I shrugged to Percy and we both headed towards the other side of the island.

When we got there, you could say that I was… very surprised. There, on the sand, was a huge trireme. It had a bronze dragon figure head, which turned its head towards me slowly. I realized that it was Festus, the dragon from the _Argo III_.

My gods, it's been an adventure.

Suddenly, I remembered. It just flashed in my mind, leaving me numb from head to toe. My dad, slumped over on his throne, crying. I heard sobs shake his body, and I realized that it had been so long. I longed to be wrapped in his arms. Though sometimes it was hard, Crete was home. And… And…

I missed home.

I fell a little limp where I was, because, looking at this ship, I knew what it meant. I was coming home. Finally, I was going home. Tears blurred my vision as I bit my lip and smiled a bit uncertainly. Percy stared at me a bit questioningly, but I didn't really want to answer his questions. I just… wanted home.

The carpet was lush beneath my feet. The chandelier threw little bits of colored light around the room. The walls were exquisite in color. I stood in flats that supported and comforted my feet. I was clean, oh so clean. My hair was pulled up carefully in a bun. That dreaded tiara was nestled in my curls. A beautiful, soft, silk dress wrapped around my body.

Suddenly, I was snapped back into reality as Festus roared.

I smiled again, but certain this time. I was going home.

But, I didn't really know what I would be missing.

A few days later, Percy and Beckendorf went on their mission.

Beckendorf died.

Silena Beauregard cried until she passed out. She swam away three days after he died. I think she died, too. At least they were together.

About two weeks after Percy's mission, we left the island. It was a semi-sad occasion. We had named the ship _Olympus_, to represent our Olympian heritage. And so, I packed up all of my belongings into a bag, and slowly walked up the gangplank. After I had boarded _Olympus_, I made my way to the back end of the ship. Percy walked up next to me.

Together, we watched the island fade into the distance. First, the sand faded from view, and soon, the tops of the trees were gone, over the horizon. It had been our home for… months, it seemed. It had been so long since my 16th birthday… I could barely remember the dress I wore. It had been such an adventure. I almost couldn't believe I was here.

Almost.

I realized, as we departed silently through the water, that I had grown to love the island. It represented a place where I felt happy, I think. It really made me think.

How much had changed in these past months? How different was I from the rebel princess on Crete? And little questions led me ponder bigger questions as I stared out at the ocean. Why was I here? Was this-all of this-fate? Who was I? The princess from Crete, or the pirate girl at sea?

Percy's elbow brushed mine, and I smiled, seeing a bit of sand on the deck, reminding me of the island. So many memories… I suppose, that what you love, you must let go.

Little did I know how much that would be true in the future.

**Again, I'm so sorry for the late update! I'm not really proud of all of this… It didn't really feel right to me. What do you think? I'm sorry it was so short. Tell me in a review what I could do better, or little things that I missed. Thank you for being so patient with me. It means a lot. :)**

**PandaBearPotter**


	15. Chapter 14

**I'm back! Maybe I'll crank out a few chapters this weekend! We never know! I don't own, and so we go!**

_Chapter 14_

It felt good to be back at sea. I had grown to love the swaying of a ship beneath my feet. I smiled at Percy before we headed off to explore the ship.

It was amazing, with all sorts of little things that made me admire the craftsmanship even more. I had just settled in my cabin when Leo's voice crackled through my room. I jumped, looking around, only to find a little black box in the corner of the room. It seemed his voice was coming from there.

"Prepare for liftoff!" He cried.

Liftoff? Something here wasn't right…

I ran up on deck, where the most amazing sight in the world greeted me.

We were in the sky!

The water of the ocean swirled beneath us, reflecting the light of the sun. We hovered over the waves, and the biggest ones would flick a little bit of water on the deck. The sun shone bright above us, and clouds passed right above the sails. It was… amazing.

Percy wandered up beside me, also marveling at the sight.

"Annabeth," he whispered after a minute.

"What is it?" I whispered back, my eyes not leaving the horizon.

He licked his lips, as if nervous. "I'm leaving with Nico tomorrow."

My eyes widened, and I turned to face him. His sea-green eyes were filled with worry, sadness, determination, and a little bit of affection. I tried not to over-analyze this, but my brain kept on coming up with horrible scenarios.

_Percy stood at the door to a little hut in the mainland. A woman opened the door. She had warm chocolate eyes and Percy's raven hair, but hers flowed out beautifully. The woman wore a simple white dress, bringing out the tan of her skin, her dark hair and dark eyes. She smiled, revealing pointed, sharp teeth. _

"_Welcome home, Percy," she said in a raspy voice. Then, she lunged, biting him and Percy fell limp._

_Percy was at the edge of the River Styx. He was staring out into the water, his eyes contemplating. Without his notice, a pale man with slick black hair down to his shoulders and eyes that seemed to flicker between being hard, obsidian black and a poisonous yellow-green approached behind him. A crown of bones laced around his head, and a staff of bones was in his hand. He wore silky black robes, depicting moving scenes of death. He raised the staff above Percy's head, and brought it down. It made contact with Percy's skull with a sickening crack, and Percy fell dead into the River Styx._

_Percy waded into the River Styx, a look of determination set across his features. As soon as his foot touched the water, his face changed into one of pure agony. He tumbled in, screaming in pain. I watched as the water began to churn as Percy fought against its current. Suddenly, his hand surfaced for a moment. It was charred and broken, fingers hanging limp and burnt. The hand went under. A moment later, his foot surfaced. His toes were almost completely seared off; just a lump of burning flesh remained. Finally, he pulled his head up, and I saw his soul drain from him as his eyes went black and dark. His hair was no more than a few strands. His face was horribly marred, burned and blistered all over. After a few seconds, he stopped thrashing, and fell backwards into the water, sizzling as his body dissolved._

I knew that Percy could see the worry form in my grey eyes.

Then, he surprised me by taking my hand.

"I'll be fine. I just wanted to let you know," he said.

I pressed my lips into a line, and then pulled him into a hug.

"I'll miss you, Seaweed Brain," I murmured, hating how my voice cracked.

"I'll miss you too, Wise Girl."

I felt a little better hearing his voice crack too.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The next day, Percy left with a younger kid with black hair. My heart was beating out of my chest as I watched them go. I could only imagine how wrong this mission could go. There was so much risk. Was it worth it?

I watched Percy and Nico, the boy, until they disappeared. I felt tears well in my eyes again.

"Be safe, Percy," I whispered into the wind. Then, I descended the stairs to my cabin, which was stocked with books.

Even though it was hard to read with my dyslexia, I still loved it. I found myself getting immersed in the stories of other people and wondering what it would be like to be them. Whenever I was upset, I could escape into a different world.

Today, I sat down on my bed with a book on the 12 labors of Heracles. It was an incredible story, and I remembered that it always cheered me up when I felt down at home. But this time, as I read about his great adventures, I couldn't help think of Percy.

Tears dripped down my cheeks and nose, falling onto the page in little splotches. I hated crying. It felt like a weakness now. But, as much as I hated it, I couldn't stop. It was horrible. Soon, I put the book away and let myself curl up in my bed like I used to in Crete. I felt the tears wet my pillow, and I imagined the ghost of my father's hand stroking my back.

"It's okay, Annabeth. Everything will be alright," he would whisper.

Helen would come in and see my form curled on my bed. Father would shoot her a look saying _Don't be down on her._ Helen would walk forward like she hadn't seen him. She would stand by my bedside in all of her queenly glory.

"Get up, Annabeth," she would snap. "It is not the place of a princess to cry over someone."

I would dry my tears, get angry, and storm out of my room to the library.

"Some mother you are!" I would shout at her.

From where I was curled up right now, I bit my lip. Mother was right. It would not do for a princess to cry over someone. I sat up and wiped my face with my hands. Venturing to the bathroom, I found that the small amount of things we had recovered from Crete's boat were in my cabin. I found the black dress that I had worn folded neatly among my things. Also, the small bejeweled crown.

I pulled on the black pants and the white shirt of a pirate girl. But, I styled my hair around the crown like a princess.

A while ago, I had asked myself if I was a pirate girl or the princess of Crete. I wondered who I was.

I smiled at my reflection in the mirror.

Nothing was stopping me now. I was stronger, fuller, and more _myself_ than I had ever been. In Crete, I was always missing something. As a pirate, I secretly longed for home. Finally, I felt like I was whole.

So, who was I? The pirate girl or the princess of Crete?

Well, no one was stopping me from being both.

**And that's a wrap! So, did you like it? I felt like the ending was good. I'm thinking that there are maybe 3 more chapters to this. I have a major plot twist planned at the end! You guys are going to hate me so much. And, before you say something about Heracles, Heracles is Greek. Hercules is Roman. Annabeth is Greek, so I used Heracles. The next chapter will be out by 11:59 PM on Sunday, December 6****th****, 2015. Adios!**

**PandaBearPotter**


	16. Chapter 15

**The due date idea is not working for me. All it did was stress me out and make it harder for me to write. I'm very sorry that this is so late… but… I needed the time. I'll try to update faster, seeing as the end is coming near! I don't own, and so we go!**

_Chapter 15_

Every day that Percy was gone seemed to drag on for a million years. The sun would rise and wake me from dreams, which weren't very restful anyway. I would trudge around, pulling my hair up, put my crown in (which I had taken to wearing every day) and climb on deck. There, I would watch the water move beneath us for a while. Then, I would gaze at the clouds. By the time I was done, breakfast was served. After breakfast, I would struggle to read for what felt like a whole day, but only took me to lunch time. When lunch was finished, I would go back and clean my cabin, taking inventory of my things. This would only take about an hour at most. As I got more organized each day, the time it took became less. After, I would find little bits of cleaning to do, which I only did to keep my mind busy. Next, I would go and do some sewing in my cabin. When I got so bored of sewing that I couldn't stand it, I would go up and watch the clouds and the sea some more. After watching the sea and clouds, I went below deck again. I was into architecture, but it was hard to keep my mind quiet and focused on a task like that. On better days, I could design a quaint little cottage. On worse days, I couldn't even make a column stand upright. Finally, finally, dinner came around. After dinner, it was pretty easy. I watched the sun set, admired the stars, changed for bed, and settled down. It took me a while to fall asleep, and the little sleep I got was hardly peaceful. All too soon, the sun would rise and wake me again.

By the end of the week, I had finished three button-down shirts like the pirates wore, but all in different colors, two new pairs of the tight black pants that I heard someone call leggings, and something I called a skirt, which was the skirt of a dress without the top of the dress. I made my skirt short (above knee-length) and it was a cute addition to my wardrobe. I had also made sure the ship was spotless. On my desk lay the blueprints of a large, fancy home that would take years to build.

Have I emphasized how LONG the week was yet?

It was in the middle of the night when he showed up. I was asleep in my cabin, in the middle of a horrible dream where Percy and I were singing on stage for my parents (I'm telling you, when Percy left I started going insane). Fun, right? Percy couldn't stop laughing as he recounted what he had found when he walked into my cabin.

I was tangled in my covers, moving in short spasms that were supposed to be dance moves in my dream.

And then, most embarrassingly, I sang, "Happy chickens in panda land." I still have no idea what that means. What is 'panda land'?

Percy was dying in silent laughter and seeing my crazy dancing and hearing my very strange song, titled "Happy Chickens in Panda Land."

He didn't want to wake me up, but my concert had ended, along with the dream. It felt good to finally be able to laugh with Percy again.

We hugged and told each other our stories.

To say the least, his was much more entertaining than mine.

Percy had first gotten his mother's blessing (who did not suck his blood, and actually has brown hair and multi-colored eyes) before heading to the Underworld (where Hades actually did capture him, which was what took so long, but not kill him) and finally bathing in the River Styx (he didn't burn up, which I didn't know because he wasn't standing right in front of me) and now he was invincible except for one spot, which he couldn't tell anyone.

I showed him the new clothes I had sewn for myself. He left to go the bathroom, and came back with my skirt on, which he had stolen from me without my knowledge. He looked absolutely ridiculous, one, because it was so small on him, and two, because it was purple. He twirled around in the skirt before changing back into his pants. I had a good laugh, and fell asleep smiling to myself, so happy that he was back.

The next morning, I woke up happier than I had been in a long time. By a long time I mean a week. It was early in the morning, and the sun was just rising. No one else was awake. I put on one of my new shirts and a pair of leggings, tied my hair in a messy bun using a strip of cloth, and nestled my crown into my curls. Mounting the stairs that led to the deck, I turned my face into the just risen sun. I closed my eyes and let the warmth wash over me, soaking in the new day. I opened my eyes, expecting to see the clear, empty deck, with bright sunlight lighting the wood, and the water glinting as we moved along, gliding through the sea with ease.

But, that was not what awaited me.

I saw the morning sunlight brightening the deck and the water, yes, but it also outlined a figure that I knew so well. The way the light gleamed off of their body made it look like they emitted a gentle, easy glow. They weren't facing me, but I knew who it was. The way they swung their bronze-steel blade was entrancing. I had known someone who swung their swords like that. The way that their hair was cropped close and in an orderly fashion was mature and made them seem older than they were. I knew the way they stood. I knew the way one hip cocked slightly to the side. I knew the way that their free hand was balled into a fist. I knew their face, even though I couldn't see it. It had a smile that was turned from loving to cruel. It had a scar down the side of their face, marking their past troubles. It had eyes that crinkled in the corner, that used to be from laughter, and now were from sneering. The eyes used to be kind, yet shocking blue, and now were evil, cold, molten gold.

"Turn around, Luke," I said quietly.

A cold chuckle escaped from his mouth. It was hard and screeching, like a blade against a stone.

"I'm not Luke," He said, in the same, harsh voice.

"Turn around," I said, my voice harder.

"Why should I?" He replied lazily, casually leaning against his sword. I could hear the screams and see the blood that had gone into making that sword.

"Because I told you to," I said. Louder. Harder. Unforgivingly.

"Precious little Annie, can't tell me what to do anymore," He laughed.

"And why would you think that?"

"Because I am Kronos, Lord of Time! I am more powerful than any of you, than all of you!"

"I am the princess of Crete. Turn around so I can see your face."

"No. After all, what are you going to do?" He sounded triumphant.

I gave him my answer.

I screamed at the top of my lungs, so loud that anyone on the ship could hear me. Crew members came rushing up the stairs in their pajamas. Everyone was here, a weapon in their hand.

"Turn around." I snarled.

Slowly, he turned to face us. "Happy now?" He asked, smirking.

I eyed him suspiciously.

"Drop the sword," I said.

There was a clattering as it slipped out of his fingertips. I knew something was happening. Luke would never drop his weapon unless… he had backup.

No one else knew Luke like I did.

"They're here," I said quietly, never taking my eyes off of Luke. "All of them. This is it. We need everyone. All of our forces. NOW!"

I heard someone rush off, while everyone behind my raised their weapon.

Tears gathered in my eyes as I took a step closer to Luke. "Why did it have to end like this?" I said breathlessly. Blinking back all of my emotions, I raised my dagger.

The enemy forces swarmed the deck, and the final battle began.

**Hi guys! Hope this was alright. I liked the end. What about you? Leave a review! Only two more chapters or so, I think. I'll try to update soon. Bye for now!**

**PandaBearPotter**


	17. Chapter 16

**This is one of the final chapters. I'm sad to see this end, but it will lead to more opportunities! And more importantly… this will lead to the sequel: Ocean! Ocean will be out soon after Sea is finished. I don't own, and so we go!**

_Chapter 16_

To say the least, the fight was insane. Everywhere I looked, there were people battling a monster, or an enemy demigod. It was hard to fight in such a large mass of bodies, with monster dust scattering my vision and demigods falling into me as they slashed at a hellhound or a telkhine. I fought through countless monsters, feeling as if the horde of enemy would never be diminished. One monster at a time, the demigods of _Olympus_ seemed to be gaining an advantage. But that didn't mean there weren't losses. I saw a giant sink its axe into an Apollo child's arm, and the demigod collapsing in agony. As I slashed and stabbed my way through the monster ranks, I saw enemies and allies alike falling to the deck.

Every once in a while, I would get a glimpse of Kronos. I hated the way he had positioned himself at the front of the ship, watching the fighting lazily, seeming unfazed. I hated how his cold, cruel face remained stoic, with a hint of a bored smirk every once in a while. I hated the way in which the blade which he called Backbiter was swinging in his hand, glinting off the sun. I hated the way his golden eyes would meet with mine, and I could see arrogance in them. I hated the way the wind blew his hair slightly, only as much as the cropped style would allow. I hated the way his white T-shirt slowly blew around him. I hated the way he leaned on the railing. I hated the sound of his razor-sharp voice when he talked. I hated the cruel sneer that crossed his face when he saw one of our demigods fall. I hated everything about him.

I hated him.

Letting my hate fuel me, I spun and fought harder, faster, stronger. I was merciless when killing monsters. I injured the enemy demigods without a second thought. The enemy got smaller with every move I made, monsters exploding into dust all around me. Arrows from our archers whizzed past my ears. The sound of clashing filled the air.

All the while, the sun rose steadily higher, and Kronos remained unfazed.

It seemed like hours passed, and maybe they did, before there were only a few monsters left. The demigods were a heaving mass, trying to tend to the wounded, knocking out the last few monsters. I made my way over to Percy, who was helping move the wounded demigods to below decks. There, our best healers would do all they could.

"I can't believe it," I said quietly to him. "So many people were hurt…"

All he did was nod. I looked across the deck, which was still a mess. Enemy demigods and monster dust littered the wood. Suddenly, my heart dropped to my stomach.

Kronos wasn't there.

"He's gone," I whispered.

Percy looked shocked. "What do we do?"

"I don't know," I said quietly.

We stared silently at the water, calmly rippling in the afternoon sunlight.

"He's coming back, you know," Percy said.

"But… all of his troops are gone."

"He didn't bring them all. If I know one thing about Luke… it's that he never loses. Ever."

That's when I felt it. A cold feeling, like someone was walking on my grave. Every nerve in my body was on fire. I whipped my head back, and locked eyes with the demigod behind us. He was wearing an eyepatch, and he glared at Percy. A knife was in his hand, and he was aiming at a spot on Percy's back. Everything was in slow motion. The blade drew nearer. I couldn't move. I was paralyzed. Somehow, I knew that this would kill him. This blade would kill Percy if it went any farther. My body snapped back into action, and I threw myself in the knife's path.

I threw myself on Percy, feeling him stumble in surprise as my weight fell on him. The tip of the knife touched my skin. I could feel it burning more than it should have. Poison. I didn't move. I let the knife finish its descent into my arm, because if I moved, Percy would die. Every second was an eternity. Fire burned through my veins in a pain I had never felt before. Everything hurt. Everything burned. The demigod yanked the knife out of my arm and ran, pulling a few of his injured friends with him over the rail of the ship. Finally, my vocal chords reacted and I emitted a piercing scream. The world stopped moving. I crashed to the ground, desperately clutching at the bleeding wound in my arm. The pain wouldn't stop. I saw Percy calling for help through a haze of pain.

I felt my vision getting darker. I couldn't hear anything but a buzzing in my ears. My senses dulled, I was passing out. Stay awake, I thought. If you pass out, you might never wake up, I thought. It hurt too much. I couldn't stand it anymore, and I let my eyes roll back into my head and my eyelids shut. The world faded out and I wasn't there anymore.

Nothing.

Nothing.

Nothing.

Every so often, I would begin to regain consciousness, and as soon as I was ready to open my eyes, a burning pain filled me. It started in my arm, in a single concentrated point. Then, like a scent diffusing through the air, pain moved through me to the rest of my body. Tendrils of pure agony emanated from that one point on my arm, spiking down to the tips of my fingers and weaving up to the ends of my hair. The pain jabbed down my legs like a hot steel wire, releasing energy and heat and so much pain. I tried to fight it, but after barely a minute I gave up. I let my eyelids give up, I let my body relax, and my consciousness drifted back to the white. Calm, peaceful white. And then nothing.

Nothing.

Nothing.

Nothing.

And then… I was hyperaware of everything. I could smell every scent ten times stronger than normal. My nose was assaulted with aromas. I could taste the sharp, bitter aftertaste of medicine in my mouth. My tongue could pick out the watery taste of saliva, and even the tiniest bit of the last meal I ate. I could hear every word of the conversations around me. My ears struggled to focus on one thing when I could hear so much. Every inch of my body could feel everything. I could feel the soft blankets beneath me, and even the slight breath of a person next to me, just barely grazing my skin. But most of all, I could feel the pain. I fought it, as always, but this time, as I was ready to give up, I looked to see that there was no whiteness. No, I would not just go to sleep this time. If I gave up…

I would die.

Energy flooded my veins and my eyes snapped open. The world seemed to fade around me, and everything was normal again.

Well, mostly.

I was still in serious pain.

My eyes locked on the person who was beside me.

Black hair, scruffy like they hadn't brushed it in days. Sea green eyes, full of fear and relief, an interesting combination. My memory was blank, though.

Who were they?

Wracking my brain, I struggled to come up with a memory. Anything. I couldn't even recall my own name. My tongue felt heavy as I attempted to speak. I had so many questions, but I couldn't get my mouth to move…

"Who are you?" My voice came out slurred and shaky.

The person's eyes widened. The relief washed out of them, and all I could see was panic. He licked his lips carefully, and swallowed. "Annabeth?" He asked, his voice barely above a shocked whisper.

"Who's Annabeth?" I slurred.

Deeper panic set into his eyes. "Gods of Olympus. What am I going to do?"

I wanted to remember for his sake, but there was nothing there… nothing there.

Tears welled in his eyes. "Wise Girl…" he whimpered.

Something clicked into place in my mind and it all came rushing back, in blurs and snippets.

Annabeth.

Princess of Crete.

Wise Girl.

Me.

Percy.

Jason.

Luke.

Kronos.

Dresses.

Helen.

Seaweed Brain.

_Olympus_.

Fights.

Monsters.

Enemy demigods.

Danger.

Sacrifice.

Pain.

Whiteness.

Pain.

I inhaled sharply. "Percy," I breathed.

Percy's eyes cleared, but not before one tear could slip down his cheek. He leaned down to wrap his arms around me, and in doing so, pushed slightly on the lumpy bandage on my arm.

I fought it for as long as I could (which was like a second) before I screamed.

Loud.

Percy jerked back. I let out a breath through my nose, before I started laughing. Of course, it hurt to laugh, but I was feeling better every second that went by.

After all, laughter is the best medicine.

**I thought I'd give you a little fright, but I had to end with some Percabeth fluff. Hey, can you really blame me though? This is either the second to last chapter or the chapter before the second to last chapter. It's a little bit longer than normal, so Happy Valentine's Day, and Happy Presidents Day, too! Leave a review if you want to say something about the story, or if you just want to talk. Hope you had a good weekend, and HAPPY MONDAY!**

**PandaBearPotter**


	18. Chapter 17

**Back once again! I'm typing this about a week after I last posted, but it won't probably get to you for another week or two. I'm sorry, I've got two big projects due soon so…. Ugh. By the way, there is a scene at the end where I use some things directly from The Last Olympian, and I don't own some of those words, quotes, and happenings JUST SO YOU NOW. But, you don't want more excuses, you want a chapter! So I'll start now. I don't own, and so we go!**

_Chapter 17_

Two days passed with no incident. I spent the time recovering, and though my arm wasn't fully healed, it was a heck of a lot better than when I initially got hurt. On the third day, I felt like something was going to change.

Something big was going to happen.

And I was right.

The sun was climbing lower and lower into the sky, when I heard a scream. Immediately, I dropped what I had been doing and raced to the site.

A Demeter girl was cowering in fear, backed against the mast up on the deck. It took me a moment before I saw the person opposite her.

He had close cropped sandy blonde hair that was growing slightly scraggly. I remembered myself running a hand through that same hair just a few years ago.

_We were outside, watching the stars. It was a cool summer night, but we didn't mind the chill. Both of us were in our night clothes, and the only thing between our bodies and the carefully manicured palace lawn was a thin wooly blanket. Every moment seemed like an eternity of peace, comfort, and happiness. I was curled into the boy next to me, slightly clutching his arm. The stars were so pretty tonight. The glowed and shimmered, and someday, when my time was over, I hoped I would be granted the honor of becoming a star, shining brightly for the world to see. The boy next to me moved, and I tore my eyes away from the sky and placed my gaze on his face. I blushed when I saw how intently his eyes were staring into mine. Every molecule of my being was on fire, yet everything was so calming. It had been a bad day, but he always knew how to make me feel better. When he looked back up at the stars, I kept my eyes trained on his features, memorizing every detail._

"_Do I have something on my face?" He asked, never looking away from the sky._

_I blushed before hurriedly coming up with an excuse. "No, there's just a piece of grass in your hair. Here, let me get it out for you." I brushed by hand through his hair, even though there was nothing there. Gods of Olympus, I had been wanting to run my fingers through his hair since… since forever. I was aware of how every slick, smooth hair felt as it brushed past my fingertips. It took me a few moments to realize that I had stroked his hair at least three times already._

"_Wow, that's one clingy piece of grass. Is it gone yet?" He asked, laughing. I blushed, because it seemed so obvious to me that he knew… he knew everything. I looked at him hard before running my fingers through his hair one last time, and then turned my face back to the heavens._

He had hands that were nimble and expertly handled whatever they held. I remembered myself holding those same hands just a few years ago.

_We were standing in the hallway. After a long day, he'd walked me back to my room. I was wearing my favorite day dress. My hair was down, curly and slightly messy. A smaller crown was nestled into it, pushed off to the side after the day. The cream fabric swished around my knees, rumpled from running in the fields. One of the straps was slipping off my shoulder, and my ballet flats were just the tiniest bit muddy. I was breathless from running, and my grey eyes had a twinkle in them that rarely appeared. Only he could pull this sort of happiness from me. Palace life really drained me, despite what the stereotypes about princesses are. But tonight, it was one of the few days I was free from classes and my parents weren't there to criticize me. I smiled at him, and for once, it reached my eyes. We stared at each other for a minute, neither of us knowing what to say. Finally, I broke the silence._

"_Thank you for today," I whispered. He smiled and took both of my hands in his. My heart started beating in my chest, though I didn't know why._

_He let one had fall and swooped down to plant a kiss on my hand. "My pleasure, Princess," he whispered. My breath caught in my throat, and he left with a quiet smirk… but did I see something more in his eyes?_

The scar on his face was long and distinctive. I remember myself running my finger on that same scar just a few years ago.

_It was about a year after I'd found him on the beach. We were sitting in the library, laughing at something stupid, so carefree. It was days like these that were my favorite days, where I could find hours passing by in the blink of an eye. No more worries of my future plagued me, and everything was… like I was…. Normal. No longer was I the heir to the throne, I was just a girl, with her best friend. We fell silent after giggling a little bit more, and a random thought popped into my head._

"_How did you get that scar along your face?" I asked._

_He grimaced. "I got it when I was at sea, doing something stupid," he'd replied. Never, in all the years I knew him, did I get a different answer. I would ask absentmindedly, and he would reply with the same thing. At sea. Being stupid. I never pressed him, because I never found it odd. I should have._

_I didn't mind how vague that answer was, I just hummed in thought. Then, making a bold move, I leaned across the table and traced my finger up and down the gently sloping line. He didn't shy away, but I never noticed how uncomfortable he looked. Like the scar held secrets that were threatening to spill over. _

But there was one feature on his face that was still unfamiliar. His eyes. If I looked hard enough, I could see little flecks of blue. Little flecks of who he used to be. Little flecks of the man I knew. Little flecks of the happy memories. Little flecks of _Luke._ His eyes told his story. The gold in his eyes was the clouded judgement, was the evil encasing him that he couldn't escape. The blue was the part of him that was fighting back, was trying to dispel all of the darkness that had invaded the good.

The wound on my shoulder burned as I strode slowly towards Luke. Everything faded around us. It was just me and him. Him and I. Another form waded into my peripheral vision, and I saw a mop of black hair. Percy. Nothing else mattered, except for us, right here and right now.

Luke.

Kronos.

Percy.

Annabeth.

Everything happened in a blur. Percy and I attacked together, synchronized in every move.

It took forever but no time at all.

I had been tossed aside, limp on the ground from injuries, while Percy and Kronos battled. Using one of the first moves Percy had taught me and most likely one of the first Luke and taught Percy, Riptide flew out of Percy's hand and was tossed into the sea.

Panic built up inside of me, and renewed strength filled my limbs.

"STOP!" I yelled. Kronos whirled around to face me and slashed, but I caught the strike on the hilt of my knife. Our blades were crossed, and I stood face-to-face with him, holding the Titan lord at a standstill.

"Luke," I pushed the words out through my teeth, struggling. "I understand now. You have to trust me."

Kronos bellowed in rage. "Luke Castellan is dead! All that remains of him is his body, which will burn away as I assume my true form!"

He pushed against me, but with my arms trembling, I held him in check.

"No," I said determinedly. "This isn't the end, Luke. The prophecy; it applies to you."

Kronos roared again. "I will squash you under my very foot, child."

"That's not true," I said, a strained smirk coming to my face through the pain. "You're holding him back, even now."

Kronos screamed and pushed harder. I fell, and he slapped me across the face, sending me flying.

_I was crying. Tears were streaming down my face. It was one of the worst days of my life. I hated my family. They were never there for me when I needed them. The only one who tried to be kind was my father, and he was so busy that no one would ever pay attention to me. Helen would only pay too much attention, but to the wrong things. She picked out all of my flaws, and today was one of the worst days. Luke was there beside me, like always. He comforted me, wiping away my tears and whispering calming sweet nothings into my ear._

"_My family hates me," I said, hot tears dribbling off my chin. "They don't want me."_

"_Shhhh, Annabeth. It's okay. Why don't we go somewhere else for a while?"_

"_You're… you're not going to take me back to my family, right?"_

"_We'll be family, Annabeth. I won't let anything hurt you, and I won't fail you like they did. I promise."_

_Luke helped me to my feet, and we started walking away from the castle. Away from my problems. Away from the family that had never cared for me._

Luke stood over me, his weapon raised.

I feebly licked the corner of my mouth, but it only spread the small stream of blood trickling from it. With the last of my strength, I croaked, "Family, Luke. You promised."

Something changes in his eyes and he staggered. Now I couldn't tell if they were gold or blue, they seemed to be both. He inhaled sharply, staring at the blood on my chin.

"_Promise."_ He whispered.

"It's us, Luke," I mumbled, fighting to get the words out of my mouth. "Unless two join together as one…"

"And one defeats all odds," he finished. Looking at me like he'd realized what he had to do, he bit his lip. Suddenly, he cried out in pain. Was I hallucinating, or was he… glowing?

Luke jerked, flinging Backbiter off the edge of the ship. Instead of splashing into the water like it should have, it sizzled when it landed, like it wasn't compatible with the water. Slowly, it sank beneath the waves of the sea.

I knew what he had to do, and I tried to hold my dagger out to Luke. My arm was too weak though, and it slid out of my grasp, nearly impaling my foot. Luke clutched at his stomach, too in pain to try and grab it. That left…

"Percy, please," I whispered, before letting myself slump to the floor.

The world faded in and out, but I faintly saw Percy come running and pick up the blade. I saw Luke struggling to grasp the knife as it was pressed into his hand. I saw what I feared yet knew I would see, as Luke brought the blade to his skin. I saw blood as it sank into his flesh, and heard his scream, so bright and pure and full of pain.

The world stopped moving. Everything was still and black.

For just a moment, everything was empty.

And then it all came spiraling back, and I saw Luke sprawled on the deck. I crawled over to him, resting on my knees when I came close enough.

"You were a hero in the end, Luke. Elysium is waiting for you," I murmured, tears in my eyes.

He managed a feeble smile, before looking up at Percy. "When you-you're captain," Luke said, trying for a smile when Percy looked away modestly, "We all know it's going to happen. But when it does happen, re-remember equality. E-eliminate jealousy and greed. D-don't ever let this h-happen again." Percy nodded solemnly.

Luke turned back to me, and I had no questions about the shocking blue color of his eyes. He was getting weaker and I could hear it in his voice. "N-no matter w-what, I w-will always l-love you, Annabeth. I-I want you t-to be happy. O-one of the m-my fav-favorite t-things you ever s-said to m-me was th-that it m-might be too l-late for f-forgiveness, b-but it's n-never too late t-to say s-sorry. E-even if y-you c-can't forgive m-me, I-I'm sorry."

Luke closed his eyes and let out his last breath. I let a tear drip down my face and fall off my chin, landing on Luke's cheek.

"I forgive you."

**And that's a wrap! This chapter was long, so the next one will be shorter. THERE WILL BE ONE MORE CHAPTER THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT! Did you like it? I'm so amazed to see this coming to an end soon. Stick with it and don't forget that a sequel is coming! Look for Ocean after Sea is finished. Review please!**

**PandaBearPotter**


	19. Chapter 18

**Hi! I'm back. If you want an explanation for my absence, look in the AN at the end of this mini-chapter. This is the end of Sea, but I have a proposition. IF YOU WANT THE STORY TO END WITH ANNABETH FORGIVING LUKE AND DON'T WANT TO READ OCEAN, STOP HERE. If you do want to read Ocean, read on. Anyways… on to the last chapter of Sea. I don't own, and so we go!**

_Chapter 18_

Today was the day. We would be arriving at Crete, and I had quite a few things to say to my parents.

If you know what I mean.

Not wanting to look like I was trying too hard, I put on a pair of leggings and one of my nicer shirts. I nestled the little tiara in my hair as usual, and took a deep breath. This was happening.

Oh, gods, this was happening.

I couldn't believe I was about to renounce my title and leave my parents heartbroken. This was the hardest decision of my life, and a niggling worry in the back of my mind told me that it was the wrong choice.

But, Percy, the other part of my mind argued. I think I'm in love with him, and you don't leave the ones you love.

This is sort of a paradox, isn't it? Either I leave a loved one, or I leave my loved ones.

But Helen never loved me. Only my dad loved me, so that left…

Percy or Dad.

Percy or Dad.

Percy or-

A knock startled me out of my thoughts.

I opened the door of my room to see a mop of black hair and big seal-like seaweed green eyes. The only thing different from normal was the grim look of Percy's face.

"Are you ready to do this?" He asked quietly.

I licked my lips and stepped closer to him, letting my face bury itself in the crook of his neck.

"What if this is the wrong choice?" I whispered.

Percy pushed me back until our noses were touching, centimeters of space between our lips. I could feel his breath on my face and my heart was beating so fast and my thoughts were melding together and I couldn't see anything but his eyes and…

"Do you need me to prove to you that it's not?" He murmured.

I dragged my fingers through his hair and smirked, my senses coming back to me. "Nope, I'm good," I whispered, before pushing myself off of him and out into the hallway. My hips swinging as I walked away, I felt his eyes trained on my back and I giggled.

Yes, I was doing the right thing. Finally, I would truly be free.

I emerged on deck to see sand. Beaches. People, gasping and pointing. Guards, taking aim at the ship, lowering their bows and faltering when the saw me.

I saw home.

I bit back a bittersweet sob, realizing that after today, I would never see this place again.

To calm my nerves, I went over what I had to do in my mind.

_I walked to the front of the ship. Looking out over my people, I smiled as a few tears dripped down my cheeks. This was it. I descended the plank and stood on the sand in front of the whole of Crete._

"_I, Annabeth Chase, Princess of Crete," I began. "Hereby renounce my title and join forces with the crew aboard this ship. I will become first mate. Captain Jason Grace will step down to third mate, and Perseus Jackson will rise to be my Captain. I wish nothing but good on Crete, my family, and the people of Crete. But I have found my true calling, and hope that all of you will do the same."_

_Then, I lifted the crown from my hair and tossed it into the water._

_I walked back onto the ship, calm and collected._

_The ship pulled away, and I took a deep breath, ready to face my destiny._

I snapped back into reality, prepared to set the plan in motion.

Time moved slowly as I walked down the ramp. Everything came to a halt as my feet touched the sand.

Could I really say goodbye to all of this?

I knew what I had to do. The worry in the back of my mind disappeared and my thoughts cleared. This was the right choice. I didn't know it until I was standing here, back home.

"I, Annabeth Chase, Princess of Crete," I began. I snuck a glance back at the ship to see Percy standing there, watching me. "Am ready. Fate pulled me away from Crete, my home, and it brought me on the most amazing adventure of my life. I discovered pain, fear, loss, happiness, and freedom. But one thing I never thought I could take away from this experience was love."

I glanced back again to see panic invading Percy's eyes. He knew what I was doing. As if in a trance, he began slowly walking towards the plank.

"I found love in my heart. With love I found forgiveness, strength, responsibility, and sacrifice. I will never turn my back on what is most important to me, and that is my kingdom. When I was found, I ran away from home again, and some of you may never trust me for that. But I needed to. Without finishing the race, I would never be able to bring home the prize. I have finished the race now. I know that I might never be accepted, and that some of you may shun me for the treason I committed, and I understand. But have you ever wondered what adventure feels like? You only live once, and you must take this one life and do whatever you can with it to make it fulfilling. And I have done just that. With everything that I learned, I know what I need to do, and I'm not afraid."

I looked back to see Percy right behind me. Tears began to slip down my cheeks.

"I'm not afraid," I said. "And I, Annabeth Chase, Princess of Crete, am ready to come home."

Before the crowd could respond, and hand wrapped around my arm.

"Wait," Percy whispered. "Is this what you want?" He was talking to me, only me. His eyes bored deep into my soul. "Are you ready to give up freedom for this? I thought we knew. I thought you knew what you wanted. Annabeth, you would have freedom. You would be my first mate. I could give you more than they ever could because I know you. I love you. Gods, Annabeth, please don't do this to me," Percy finished, letting his hand fall.

Pain gripping my heart, I pushed myself against him and captured his lips in mine. Our tears mixed and my hands burrowed in his hair. They had a home here. I felt his arms wrap around me, not ready to let go. I knew he didn't want to let go. I didn't want him to let go, but I needed him to. I let myself sink into him for one second more, before I broke the kiss, panting slightly.

"I love you Percy," I whispered. "But this is the way it was meant to be."

With that, I turned and walked away, our interlocked fingers slowly coming apart. The more distance put between us made a bigger hole in my heart. I was crying, but I never looked back until I was wrapped in my father's arms. I let him hold me, before I finally turned around.

The _Olympus_ was pulling away slowly. People started to leave until it was just me, standing alone with the wind in my hair, the sand under my feet.

I watched, tears streaming down my face, as the ship and the love of my life disappeared out on the horizon. For a second more, I watched, the sun painting the sky in a million different colors as it set.

Then I closed my eyes and turned away from the sea.

**I can't believe this is the end. I just can't. But wait… it's not the end of Annabeth and Percy! Continue with the story in Ocean, coming soon! Below is my excuse for not updating.**

**I have lost access to my laptop. Long story short, it broke and I can't turn it on. I'm having it repaired (thank goodness it's still on warranty), but it will take a while. I will update as soon as I can, but with no access to my laptop therefore no access to my document, I can't do anything. I apologize, but I hope you know that I'm not just being lazy and this was out of my control. I will put this in the AN of the next and FINAL mini-chapter of Sea. Once again, I apologize. I'll update this when it's back, and soon after, Sea will be completed. Thank you for your patience!**

**Okay, so this is it! I guess this is the last time I can say that I'll be updating Sea. Wow! What an adventure this has been. Can't wait to see you soon! So, I guess, for the last time, I'm going to tell you, well, review! Every single person that has read or reviewed this story, thank you so much. It means the world to me. There's a sea of things that I want to say to you, but it's time for me to go.**

**PandaBearPotter**


End file.
